Monster and the Martyr
by Bitumz
Summary: The Salvatores' rescue attempt fails and Elijah claims his coveted prize. Will the revenge-seeking Original be able to go through with his plan or does Elena edge herself into the heart of a man who forgot he had one... Elena/Elijah centric. Takes place after 2x08. Slight AU.
1. For The Taking

_I do not want to be afraid_  
_I do not want to die inside just to breathe in_  
_I'm tired of feeling so numb_  
_Relief exists I find it when_  
_I am cut_

_~  
**Cut - Plumb  
**_

* * *

Elena watched in shock as Damon charged toward Elijah with the rigid coat hanger stake. Only moments ago, the enraged intruder had snapped the thick wood into a sharp point, though somewhere in the speed of the scuffle it had changed hands.

Her mouth gaped in horror, a hand rising to it to muffle a scream, as Elijah quickly grabbed the point, flipping it so swiftly around toward the elder Salvatore that it blurred in the air leaving no time for him to avoid it.

She felt her knees threaten to buckle as Damon fell to his own, the large stake driven painfully deep into his stomach; her last sight, his face crumpling in pain as he fell forward onto the ground.

Before she could blink, she was swept off her feet in a much too firm grasp and whisked outside into the warm afternoon air. It took her a moment to focus through threatening tears after the events she had just witnessed unfold. When her eyes adjusted to the brisk sunlight, she gazed up upon the taught jaw and ebony eyes that briefly glared back down at her. Immediately, the panic set in, making the world around her hazier than it already was and if she were not being cradled so tightly, she was sure she would collapse into pieces.

The Salvatores had failed their rescue attempt and she was now in the arms of a ruthless Original vampire. The world around her fell dark as her mind could no longer handle the reality of her situation.

Elijah had successfully claimed his prize.

* * *

Elena awoke in darkness, her surroundings lit only by the dim moonlight coming through the small open window, opposite of the bed she lay in. She could feel the slight breeze throughout the room that caused cream, silk curtains to rise and fall like ghosts. The place seemed huge to her groggy eyes, which were still attempting to adjust to their surroundings.

She felt surprisingly comfortable in the huge bed she found herself in, basking in those few precious moments between being asleep and becoming fully conscious and the small amount of peace they delivered.

Then, nearly resembling a physical strike, her mind sharpened as the events that sent her spiraling into a dreamless sleep came crashing back.

Rapidly blinking away slumber, she noticed that to her left the wall was completely covered in books of all sizes, held by mahogany shelves that stretched from floor to ceiling. To her right she could make out the silhouette of a rather large recliner with an ancient looking book opened, face down, upon its arm. A few feet from the chair she spotted the bedroom door, cracked just enough so that the light from the next room shone through, leaving a pencil-thin streak of yellow across the bedroom floor.

She swiftly threw the covers off of her and swung her feet over the side of the bed where the tip of her toes met a cool, wooden floor. An immediate chill spread within her as she quickly lifted her feet back up onto the sheets, her knees pressing gently to her chest. The warm comfort she found in her resting place was instantly overcome by the bitter realization of her imprisonment mixed with the crisp night air.

Beside her bed she spotted a small, wooden nightstand and carefully, with trembling fingers, switched on the elegant looking crystal lamp that rested upon it. With that simple gesture, her breath caught within her throat.

The orbs of crystal that hung freely around the glowing bulb danced with her shaky touch and painted the room in shards of prismatic light. Her lips parted at the array of colors as her gaze rose up to the wall, finding elegant, paintings from unknown eras residing beautifully in the lamp's light. Portraits of people that could only be royalty and landscapes more beautiful than she had ever seen were spread out before her eyes. Each one carried so much detail that she momentarily felt as if she were in a museum instead of locked away somewhere.

The small rustle of paper snapped her back to her grim reality.

"I was wondering when you would wake," Elijah murmured, seemingly bored, looking up from his reading only briefly enough for Elena to meet the darkness of his eyes. He sat casually in the chair, running his fingers through the pages of the book that rested upon its arm only moments ago.

Elena could feel her eyes widen, frozen with surprise; all except for her heartbeat which increased with each passing second. When did he enter the room and how had she not heard him? Even the Salvatores were not that quiet.

She instictively scooted herself away, her back now pressed against the sturdy wooden headboard.

"You have no reason to fear me," he stated matter-of-factly, while simultaneously sliding his thumb across the page edges, "unless you plan on attempting to escape."

With that, he looked up at her again through his lashes with a calculating, predatory gaze; his own personal way of making casual words into a menacing threat. He heard the slight elevation in her already racing heartbeat, proving his method effective.

Though she felt nothing but fear, in the flattering light from the lamp she could not help but get a clearer view of Elijah's features for the first time. His dark eyes were filled with specks of warm, golden brown as he stared her down in the reflecting light, which seemed to dance along the curve of his lips and defined chin, leaving faint shadows in their wake. His gaze was framed by neatly parted, dark hair, its length tousling just enough in his face to bring out his untimely youth, though it failed to make him appear any less menacing.

He was in a new suit, free from vervain and blood stains, unlike the one that had been ruined during her capture. The dark way he regarded her at the moment reminded her of the way he'd looked at her when she'd thrown the vervain grenade in his face...

It was then that she realized the window and door being tauntingly left open was most likely a challenge. One he dared her to take.

She swallowed hard to force down the lump in her throat. She would not allow Elijah to see her in such a vulnerable state, even though she knew in the back of her mind that it was already a wasted effort.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, finding annoyance in the shakiness of her own voice.

He sighed a sound of indifference as he set the book back down beside him. "As you have probably realized by now, your blood is of sacred origin…"

With this single line, her fear suddenly gave over to a familiar frustration. Since Katherine's return, her unwelcome discovery of being a copy had caused her nothing but trouble and she seemed to constantly be reminded of it.

"Doppelgänger blood," she muttered, cutting him off, her gaze falling down to her lap, "I'm aware of this already..." Her boldness was a surprise to herself, and she nearly instantly regretted it.

When Elijah remained quiet for a moment, she glanced back up, willing herself to meet his eyes once more. She found them even more bleak and unyielding. His squared jaw, an obvious weapon, was taught in clear aggravation. She shivered under his scrutiny, silently preparing for the worst.

He was the first to look away, turning his gaze over towards the wall of books as his tension seemed to thin out before her eyes. With the flick of his tongue across his bottom lip, he let out a slight huff before he spoke.

"Well, then you must also know of Klaus." He nearly whispered, bitter in tone, his eyes refusing to meet hers. "You are an asset, a pawn, such as your bloodline has been for centuries. I intend on using _that_ to my advantage."

Upon completing his confession, he allowed himself to look at her - really look at her. Fear filled her familiar eyes while she took in the meaning of his words. Her body seemed to be vibrating almost enough to shake the bed beneath her, though he was aware it would not be visible to the human eye. The sounds her accelerated heart produced reminded him of a hummingbird; soft, rapid, graceful.

Elijah knew he was a noble man, not commonly cruel, but his threats had to be believable in order for his plan to work. He was not one to find joy in harming an innocent, but this one girl was the resolution to centuries worth of monstrosities and murder. Klaus, his own flesh and blood, had violently ripped his family away from him and laid ruins to the many lifetimes he was forced to live. His brother needed to pay for his misgivings with the ultimate sacrifice and he had finally captured his key to revenge.

* * *

**This is going to be a fun journey. :)**

**I absolutely adore Elejah and I truly hope you'll enjoy my take on the pair.**


	2. A Brother's Scorn

_You don't wanna hurt me  
But see how deep the bullet lies  
Unaware that I'm tearing you asunder  
And there's a thunder in our hearts_

~  
**Running Up That Hill - Placebo  
**

* * *

She watched nervously as Elijah stood and left the room just as graceful and quiet as he had entered. How easily she had caused him to change from bored to bitter with just one out of place remark. She would have to learn to be _even more_ careful around such an unpredictable creature.

Elena busied herself for a while, pondering what it meant exactly to be a _pawn _or why her death would bring him any form of satisfaction?

Her death. She had become so used to her life being threatened by the likes of Katherine, along with an ever-growing list of other immortal beings, that her fear of it was easily pushed to the back of her mind outside of Elijah's presence.

For the remainder of the night she paced the floor of the bedroom, quietly trying to keep herself busy. In the back of her thoughts, she was hopeful that Stefan and Damon were coming for her, but she would not openly allow herself to think that way for multiple reasons.

Firstly, she did not want to put them in any more danger, knowing they would undoubtedly risk their lives for her - again. She just could not allow herself to hope for such a thing. Also, she knew this was coming. Cheating death was something she had done on more than one occasion and she was sure it would eventually catch up with her.

On the other hand, she knew for certain that, other than a brief moment of boldness, she had done nothing to upset Elijah to the point of seeking retribution. He held knowledge of Klaus but why exactly was he doing this to her and was it safe to seek information from the man - the vampire, that she knew nearly nothing about?

* * *

As the first rays of the sun shone through the small bedroom window, the faint sound of a door shutting pulled Elena from her inner turmoil. It was then that she realized she had not heard a sound come from her captor for the remainder of the night. Her curiosity won over her ever-present fear as she silently made her way to the bedroom door.

Elijah's promise not to hurt her played on repeat in the back of her mind as she pulled the knob, willing her feet to step out. She found herself in an elegantly decorated hall way that doubled as a balcony looking out onto the first floor.

She was not in some ordinary house. This place was huge.

Auburn cashmere carpet covered the ground and draped gently down the stairs. The long hallway seemed to never end and was dotted by at least half a dozen white, closed doors. The walls were decorated with even more paintings, similar to the works of art that hung in the bedroom. What caught her attention the most was the elegant chandelier that hung just past the balcony, over the main floor. The facets in the large crystals caught the soft light, sending its rays throughout the house in a beautiful explosion.

She stood in silence, waiting to hear another sound, but when all remained quiet she slowly made her way down the stairs. When she craned her neck to peak around the adjacent wall, she found herself looking into a large modern kitchen, and the eyes of Elijah.

He sat casually on a bar stool with an old looking newspaper spread out on the island in front of him. He eyed her curiously for a moment before dropping his gaze down to his side.

"I've brought you some things," he stated as he grabbed a black bag off the stool beside him, holding it out in her direction. "I'm not sure how long this is going to take so I have also stocked the kitchen with provisions. I've never had to do this before, so please forgive me if it is not to your liking."

Was she dreaming or did his apology nearly sound sincere?

Hesitantly, she walked towards him and reached out for the bag. When she gripped the strap, her hand near to his, his own grasp tightened for a moment as he looked her over. She looked down at her own attire and realized she still wore the bloodied clothes from the happenings at Masquerade dance.

He had of course noticed her tattered clothing from the beginning and found himself genuinely curious. "What happened to you?"

She looked back to him, flushed with anxiety due to his closeness and – embarrassment? She wasn't sure if he deserved an explanation but she figured he would probably compel it out of her anyway.

"Katherine happened," Elena almost whispered. "Stefan and Damon were going to kill her but she had a witch link us together. Whatever happened to her, happened to me." She nearly cringed remembering the pain of something invisible tearing through her ribs.

Feeling her wince slightly, Elijah removed his hand from the bag with an unreadable expression on his features. He had known Katerina was still as alive as a vampire could be, but he didn't think she was foolish enough to draw attention to herself in the doppelgänger's birth town.

Elena took a few steps back to make for a comfortable distance. He nearly radiated strength and the thought of what he could do when angry - or thirsty - was unnerving.

In an attempt at bravery, she sat down on the stool across the bar from him, cradling her bag on the counter between them as if it was a form of support. She had come down for answers and was going to do everything she could to get them.

Elijah simply raised an eyebrow at her show of valiance and silently waited for her to speak.

"I'm sorry about last night" she began, "it seems that my bloodline has been causing me a lot of trouble lately."

His lips quirked at that.

"You have nothing to apologize for," he stated almost incredulously. _She_ was the one apologizing?

"But it seems I do," she continued. "I must be here for a reason. Can I at least know why?" She kept her tone level, doing everything in her power to conceal a growing swarm of angst.

Elijah turned his gaze away from her and briefly pursed his lips. He busied himself by slowly folding his newspaper. The fact that she had indeed done nothing to deserve this ate at him somewhat, but he would never show it. He was not one to openly feel for humans due to them being so disposable, even if they were innocent.

"As I have said, you are merely an asset... While you have not directly caused me any misfortune, your bloodline has." His tone grew firmer as he spoke.

"Well, you also mentioned Klaus," she retorted. "You're just going to hand me over to him? Are you his lackey or something?"

With that, he felt his practiced self control instantly give. He worked for no one.

Elena heard a low rumble come from him as he swiftly stood placing his palms firmly on the counter top. His heated eyes were heavy on her and she leaned away instinctively.

"No," it left his lips in a hushed growl, "I am his brother."

For a split second, the monster in him enjoyed the fearful way she looked up at him; all fluttering heartbeat and trembling hands. No one had ever affected him this deeply with mere words (mostly because they would probably be dead already for speaking to him in such a way).

His self control was back in an instant, but he was used to not losing it at all.

He inched back down, taking an unnecessary breath to steady himself. It was going to be hard to keep this girl alive if she continued to test him like this. Remaining as civil as possible was key.

"I apolo-" he started, one of his hands rising from the counter to straighten his shirt collar.

Elena held her own trembling hand up, pausing him, and briefly closed her eyes to ensure her voice held steady.

"Please. I don't want an apology, just an explanation."


	3. Loved And Lost

_Innocence didn't mean we're immune to these things,  
Let's blame the passage of time.  
Love and loss, truth it costs more than I can spare right now.  
Maybe it's simpler to lie..._

_~  
**Firefiles - Ron Pope**_

* * *

"I was in love once."

This casual statement from Elijah caused Elena's eyes to snap open. The fact that such a guarded man had ever felt love surprised her, though it finally gave Elena something to hope for. He had been vulnerable - human, once, and she had a pretty good track record of finding humanity where it was believed to be lost.

Him confessing something like this to her was even more of a shock - to the both of them.

He did not like having to think about _her_, much less having to tell the tale, but the way Elena pleaded for answers would not cease to plague him. He figured he might as well start from the beginning if he was going to grace her with his painful explanation.

She looked at him earnestly, waiting for him to continue.

"Her name was Tatia - the original Petrova."

This caught Elena's attention even more than his previous statement. She had the unfortunate pleasure of knowing Katherine, but this was her first time hearing of where it all began. When Elijah had told her that her blood was 'of a sacred origin' she had clearly mistaken his meaning. Her eyes widened slightly in interest as his focused on a faraway place, deep in his past.

"She was compassionate and warm, but also had a lovely fire to her. Though it was known she had already delivered a child out of wedlock, most of the men in our village fancied her... Myself included."

He stopped, obviously troubled. It startled her slightly when she felt pity for him as his face fell, the light of past memories leaving his eyes. This was the same man who she had watched impale Damon with a stake in order to take her prisoner… but she was still Elena. She instead decided to partially distract herself by fumbling with a zipper on her bag.

This was proving to be harder on him than he thought it would be. Opening up to someone in the slightest was not one of his strong points, especially on a topic that was still so tender, it could have happened yesterday. It unbolted the door to feelings he had spent lifetimes locking away. Elena's overly apparent interest in the story was the only reason he continued.

His unusually soft gaze found hers before he spoke again.

"Unfortunately, the compassion that drew me to her also contributed to her own demise. When Klaus learned of our affections, he became taken with her as well... I would hardly call it love, but instead, a challenge. He wanted her heart simply because he believed it belonged to me."

Elena knitted her eyebrows together, both in sympathy and confusion. While seeing Elijah in pain did affect her in a way she refused to dwell upon, he still was not answering any of her questions.

"In the end, it did not. She opened her heart to the both of us, much like yourself towards the Salvatores. Her shared affection tore my brother and I apart." His tone held an undercurrent of warning. _  
_

A mixture of embarrassment and shame washed over Elena leaving a sickening feeling in their wake. Elijah did not fail to notice.

"I've always been a man of observation... The way you looked to Stefan, knowing he would try to save you – when you saw Damon's pain – you love them." He declared flatly with a single nod of his head.

It was a simple, sure statement that shook Elena to the core. It was true, but she hated how he was able to announce it so easily while she had been in a constant battle with the idea herself. When she remained silent for a moment with personal frustration, he continued.

"Harsh words and blows steadily increased in violence until our mother decided to intercede. Tatia's blood was used in the ritual that made us what we are," he hesitated as his voice began to falter. When his spoke again, his tone was laced in sick humor. "It was on that day that the original witch created vampires using the blood of the original Petrova."

Elena shivered. She knew all too well what the transition from human to vampire called for and could easily guess the role Tatia had filled.

"That was long ago," he muttered, his tone weighed down by the memory.

While she was given no direct answers, she now better understood a part of Elijah's feelings toward Klaus. He was in seek of revenge in its most personal form.

His face was grim, more torment laid thick upon it than she had ever seen, and that did it. Before her brain could catch up with her actions, she reached out and placed her hand gently on top of his. At that moment he was not an intimidating original or even her captor, but simply someone in need of comfort.

"I'm so sorry, Elijah."

The strength that he seemed to exude was, in fact, real. His hand, solid yet smooth, was undeniably inhuman under her light touch; a velvet stone. She couldn't help but to glance down at it for a moment, the size difference from hers being almost comical.

Stunning him would be putting it lightly. He froze, statuesque, as his pained expression slowly flashed through surprise, then confusion, before slipping back into his comfortable, hardened gaze. The warmth from her small human hand was foreign, but oddly welcoming; though he was sure his face said the opposite as he looked down to where they touched.

No human had ever reached out to him in such a way in the entirety of his life as a vampire. It caught him completely off guard. He was one to be feared, not comforted and the circumstances that he was forcing Elena into made her action even more remarkable to him.

She watched as his gaze dropped to their hands, the cold expression on his face causing her to gently lift her hand away.

Before their touch was broken, he swiftly – softly closed his thumb over her fingers with just enough force to hold her hand in place over his. He had felt the strange need to show her that his reaction to her gesture was misread and it truly was the only way he knew how.

He made great effort to be gentle as it had been a very long time since he touched something so fragile in comparison. He had not come into contact with a human without the intention of breaking it in a very long time.

It was her turn to be stunned. She had gasped slightly, expecting pain when Elijah's hand adjusted, but she was left with his gentle touch. Against her will and to her dismay, she felt her cheeks warm.

"It seems you two have more in common than just looks," he pointed out with a straight tone, his gaze focused on their hands – his proverbial mask perfectly in place. The realization stung for a moment, his past briefly spread out before him. He had seen proof that compassion was just as much a curse as it was a gift - one he would share no part in.

Thoughts aside, he couldn't help the small smile that pulled at the corner of his lips when he looked up to catch the rosy hue on Elena's face. It reminded him of a much less troubled time.

His touch was cool and reassuring but this was all so wrong. Elena pulled away insistently, allowing her senses to flood back.

"I just know how it feels to lose people you love," he watched as her blush faded, her tone nearly slipping back to a plead. "You want revenge, obviously, but how am I the solution?"

He only stared back at her for a moment, the silence causing her to feel uneasy.

"There is much more to explain, but first you need to change," he urged, all prior amusement gone. It was then that she noticed his darkening eyes were beginning to focus more on the bloodstains on her shirt than on anything else.

It was a warning she decided not to mess around with. She grabbed her bag off the counter as she quickly stood and made her way towards the stairs.

* * *

Elijah lingered in the kitchen for a moment after watching her leave. He tuned in to her footsteps falling lightly on the wooden floor above until he heard the bedroom door close.

With unguarded emotion came the needed to feed and he decided he would do so at night fall. His carefully polished self control could only hold out for so long.

Bringing up his past was hard on him. That, mixed with the unexpected torment Elena caused him, left him in a state he was not used to. Having to be around someone that looked so much like the woman he once loved was already a strain; much less they share a similar facade of compassion.

She had to remain an object to him and he knew that. While Elena may favor her, she was not Tatia and keeping them separate was crucial.

* * *

**I'm pretty sure chapters are going to get progressively longer from here on out.**

**Chapter 4 is already in progress!**

**Thanks so much for reading/reviewing/favoriting! You guys are amazing!**


	4. This Is Personal

_Did you know that you could be wrong  
and swear you're right  
some people been known to do it all their lives  
but you find yourself alone just like you found yourself before  
like I found myself in pieces on the floor_

~  
**Shadow Days - John Mayer**

* * *

She somehow felt safer once she re-entered the room that she had spent the night in. The sense of familiarity it provided was all she had to hold on to and the distance from Elijah helped to calm her nerves. After she gently pushed the door shut, she sat her bag on the bed and took a look around her.

In the light from the falling sun, she could make out the finer details of the rustic bedroom that, she decided, had to be Elijah's own. The overused books placed neatly on their never-ending shelves, the aged wood that spread across most of the room, the paintings – maybe she really was in a museum of sorts.

After a few moments she turned her attention back to her bag. When she slid the zipper open, her eyes widened, a mixture of emotions spreading across her face.

Inside lay her usual, everyday attire, complete with the necklace that Elijah had forcefully removed from her neck, now empty of vervain. At the very top of her folded stack of clothing rested her journal.

Elena stilled for a moment as a chill crept down her spine. These were not items that he'd just picked up at a store somewhere. These were personal. How did Elijah access her things? He would have had to force his way into her home – or worse.

_Jenna_, she thought to herself silently, her mind buzzing. "Jeremy," she barley whispered as panic began to overcome her better judgment.

She paced the room once – twice, running a hand through her hair, trying to clear her head enough to form coherent thought.

Her decision came easily. She had to go to them – she had to know that they were alive. They were the only family she had left. After his demonstration at the farmhouse she was well aware of what Elijah was capable of and it pained her to think of what he could have done to Jeremy or Jenna had they not willingly fulfilled his requests.

She had to run.

She quickly changed into a dark blue sweater and jeans, thankful to be in clean clothes but equally uneasy because they still held the familiar smell of home. She clasped her vervain-less necklace back in its rightful place around her neck. While it was now practically useless, it was still her own personal symbol of hope.

As she made her way over to the small window, she saw the setting sun fall just below the tree tops. The forest seemed to never end, and while she had no clue where she was, she knew that she could not be too far from where she was captured.

She leaned out and looked down at the ledge of the first story. Even with it there, there would still be a solid story drop to the ground.

Mustering up all the bravery she could find, she quietly slipped her legs out the window and sat upon the sill. She froze, listening closely to hear if any sounds came from downstairs. When a moment passed and all she received was her heart drumming into her ears, she closed her eyes and let herself slowly down onto the ledge.

The sun was fading fast but in the dim light she spotted wiry bushes that ran along the perimeter of the house. While it was still a frightening fall, she hoped they would lessen the impact at least a little.

Before she could think herself out of it, she closed her eyes once more and jumped.

She landed with a hard thud into the mess of branches. The undergrowth was unkempt and filled with large, sharp thorns that snagged at her clothing and hair. As she attempted to untangle herself, she noticed that a few of the barbs poked straight through her sweater and into her skin, though her adrenaline allowed her to feel no pain.

With one final rip, she tore herself up from the tangled mess of branches and immediately took off in a sprint.

* * *

Elijah crouched leisurely in the woods, shadowed by the dimness of twilight, waiting for his next meal to wander too close. While he was not one for animal blood, being so far from civilization called for such measures.

He trailed his fingers absentmindedly in the dirt. It felt good to be outside, to hunt, as he had become accustomed to living in a way that did not require the need for violence. Because of this, he knew he would have to make a trip for blood bags in the very near future.

The fresh air allowed him to clear his mind and think properly. It would only be a short time now until his brother got what was coming to him. Klaus grew to become overly hostile and grossly impulsive. He thought back to his other brothers and his beloved little sister, how they had all fallen victim to Klaus' selfish hand.

These memories, he relived constantly, never allowing himself to repress them because it was all he had left. Over the years his hatred for Klaus had manifested deep within him developing into an emotion so vial that he was unable to name it. Explaining this to Elena would probably be the hardest thing he's had to do in a very long time, but he felt he at least owed her that.

In the distance, the faint, rhythmic heartbeat and delicate footfalls of a young deer tore him from his train of thought. He allowed himself to focus on its pulse – the blood pumping through its veins as the thought of tasting warm blood, human or not, became increasingly appealing.

Just as he began to feel the pressure of protruding fangs, something caught both his and his prey's attention. His head quickly snapped toward the direction of the sound, causing the deer to take off in the opposite.

A much louder, unsteady heartbeat filled his senses along with the faint smell of human blood. He immediately recognized the familiar fluttering of Elena's heart.

His teeth clenched on their own accord and with a slight growl of frustration, he peeled off in vampire speed towards the source.

* * *

Though Elena had not been running for very long, the muscles that carried her already felt inflamed. She had been through hell in the last few days and her aching body was a constant reminder of her bittersweet humanity.

It was completely dark around her now, aside from the blanket of stars that shone bright in the new night sky. She had no idea where she was headed, but she knew that she had to keep going.

She glanced down at her feet, silently urging them on as her pace slowed, her legs threatening to give out. Just as she looked back up, she ran squarely into what felt like a brick wall, knocking her hard, backwards onto the dirt.

Glancing up in a haze of pain, she could only make out his silhouette, but that was all it took for fear to blaze through the veins of her already trembling form. He said nothing but she swore she could hear a low growling sound coming from deep within him.

When he took a step toward her, she turned over onto her hands and knees, preparing to rise and run once more. Before she could even make it fully onto her feet, she felt his firm hand wrap around her forearm, restraining her.

"I took you for bold but never foolish," he spat, still thirsty and fighting to hold his composure.

She turned slowly to face him, causing her survival instincts to automatically kick in when their eyes met. He was everything but completely vamped-out. His animalistic eyes perfectly matched the darkness of the night and held a menacing glare. His jaw was squared, taught, like a rubber band ready to snap, as his hand held just as firm around her arm, making any movements that he did not allow painful and impossible.

It was not the first time she had feared for her life in Elijah's presence, but definitely the most potent to date.

"You p-promised not to hurt me," she stammered, struggling against his hold. Although she thrashed and pulled, Elijah never budged.

"But it seems you have escaped," he nearly hissed in anger, reminding her of the full details of his promise to her. "Why would you attempt such a thing?"

"What did you do, Elijah?! These clothes, my journal, how did you get them?!" She asked frantically as her eyes began to glaze over. Her questions caught him off guard. "I did nothing wrong, I came with you! Why go after _them_?!"

To his own surprise, Elena's eyes filling with tears began to deter his anger as her words took meaning. He could never bare it when _she_ cried and for a quick moment his mind played tricks on him. He closed his eyes briefly to prevent such an unwanted vision. At the same time, his grasp on her arm loosened, though he still held her securely.

"You really take me for a monster, don't you?" He asked thinly, only a hint of menace left in his tone.

"I only know what I've seen. You hurt people to get what you want," her voice shook with silent sobs, "please tell me you left Jenna and Jeremy out of this."

_It was love for her family that caused her to do this_. The repeated memory of his own family panged him. When he had had a family to care for, he was always one to protect them and put them above all else. Because of this fact, he couldn't help but to feel a slight amount of respect for the girl's actions, even so rash.

"I merely compelled the young man to pack up the items you use daily. I thought I was showing you a kindness," he confessed truthfully, "but now that you have tried to run, what consequences should you have to face?"

He lifted an eyebrow slightly as he looked past her, asking this taunting question both to her and to himself. While he was not above revenge, he had never had to deal with such a delicate situation.

His question hit her hard. "Please, I was the one who tried to run, take it out on me, not them," she shook her head as her plead spilled from her lips. "They are going through enough already because of me. Please don't hurt them."

Elijah eyed her squarely for a moment, watching her face become completely taking over by despair. He knew then that she truly felt she was the cause of all her family's problems and deserved the punishment entirely. While he was unsure as to whether or not it was true, he doubted it highly.

"If you wish for your loved ones to remain unharmed, you will _never_ do this again," his stern tone was a promise laced with warning. "This will be marked up as a misunderstanding but I realize now that I will have to watch over you much more closely. I never would have expected this from someone so knowledgeable of a vampire's capabilities."

"I had to know they were okay," she whispered, dropping her gaze to the ground, defeated.

"Asking would have sufficed," he responded dryly. "We should get back - now."

* * *

With that, he began walking through the foliage in the direction of the house, towing Elena by her arm. She limped slowly behind him, her legs unbearably sore from running, the rest of her body aching from her falls.

The cool night air blew gently around them, pelting Elijah with the scent of sweet, fresh blood that seeped from Elena's plentiful wounds. He was now both disheveled and starving, and her warm blood fondly called to him.

He had not fed directly from a human in centuries, even though blood direct from the vein was of the best quality. Drinking from humans got messy in more than one way and he was never a fan of the immorality of such a thing. He had fought against the urge as soon as he learned it was possible.

For a short moment however, he found himself contemplating it. S_he deserves it. I told her not to attempt to run and she disobeyed._

As the predator within him coaxed on, he was entirely disgusted with himself when he felt fangs nudge his gum line, begging to break through. Even though she was treading after him unbearably slow, he refused to look behind at her in fear of completely losing it. This walk back to the house was taking much too long for his taste, and everything depended on him keeping her alive.

In a desperate attempt to prevent his entire plan from falling apart, he turned without letting his eyes find her, swiftly leaning down to lift her up into his arms. Before she knew what was going on, she was watching the world pass by her at a debilitating speed.

Elena mentally gasped at his quick gesture, but her body was nothing short of thankful for the relief. She hated this, her helpless state – getting caught – how she was reduced to nothing more than a ragdoll in his arms – again.

She did not fight it, but instead rested her throbbing head against the crook of his shoulder as she peered up at him, wondering why he would do such a thing after she had tried to escape. While he refused to look down at her, in the dim light she swore she could make out the faint darkness of veins beginning to appear beneath his eyes.

She blinked twice to focus and they were gone.

Elijah halted briefly, adjusting her in his arms to open the front door before gliding up the stairs and into the bedroom. Only then did he look at her as he softly released her battered body onto the bed and quickly backed away a few steps.

"I will be back shortly," he said pointedly, his hungry eyes momentarily assessing her damaged form. "No unwise actions and I will keep my word."

He turned away hastily, making a point to shut the window before leaving the room and swiftly pulling the bedroom door closed behind him.

* * *

**I wrote and rewrote this chapter about 4 times…**

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	5. Eye To Eye

_I'm not like the others_  
_So don't fight it anymore no_  
_What will it take for me to make you see?_  
_I'm not your enemy_

~  
**Not Your Enemy - Jesse McCartney**

* * *

She had ended up right back where she started – but in a lot more pain.

_That was so stupid,_ she thought angrily to herself as tears of frustration welled and threatened to slide from the corners of her eyes. _So, so, so, stupid!_

The burning sensation came in waves as her muscles continued to scream at her for her actions. She slowly moved her arms up and into sight, observing the severity of her wounds.

The thorn-filled bushes had done a number on her sweater, leaving large scattered gashes running down both of her arms. Through the holes, she noticed deep scratches from where she had ripped herself up from the underbrush. A few of the barbs still remained deep in her agitated skin. Judging just from her arms, she did not want to think about what the rest of her body looked like.

Removing the thorns would require more pain and she decided, at the moment, she just could not handle that. Instead, she slowly inched her arms back down to her sides and stared at the ceiling, trying to distract herself from her pain with thought.

Elijah had not harmed Jeremy or Jenna; she wanted to trust that, but she would not risk him keeping his word by acting so _stupidly_ again. She pictured poor Jeremy, robotically packing her things, unaware that he may never see his sister again. She blinked her eyes rapidly, stopping that notion in its tracks.

She desperately missed Stefan. In her aching state, what she wanted most was him there to soothe her and tell her everything was going to be all right. She also felt the need to see Damon – to at least let him know she was okay. He had gone through so much attempting to save her and she could not imagine how he must feel not knowing whether she were alive or dead. Hopefully Stefan could prevent him from doing anything reckless because she would not be able to stand losing anyone else.

She knew that Elijah would do everything in his power to keep her here – wherever here was. If Stefan or Damon were ever able to find her, Elijah could stop them effortlessly – and that was a frightening thought.

Elijah… The way he looked at her in the woods was burned into her memory. It was what she imagined staring death in the face would be like. The irony of it all sent a shudder through her, briefly reigniting the pain within her limbs.

She was still left completely in the dark when it came to him. While she still had no clue what he planned to do with her, it wasn't hard to guess that it required her to stay alive. Even though she knew her escape attempt was tragically irrational, it still surprised her that he seemed to move past it so easily.

As her constant stream of thoughts besieged her mind, she failed to notice her eyes slowly starting to become heavy as exhaustion inevitably won over.

* * *

"Gratias," Elijah murmured to the now lifeless creature that lay on the ground before him. He had given this gesture of gratitude to each of his kills throughout the night.

Even after a thousand years, something still felt off about taking a life.

That being said, he had allowed himself to be enveloped by the hunt more so on this night than in hundreds of years. His anger toward Klaus, grieving for his family_, her_ – all of his troubles piled endlessly onto one another. In the dense cover of the forest, in a heap of teeth and snarls, he had let himself snap and relished in the predator he truly was.

He felt much better after feeding. He had come so close to ruining everything due to letting his hunger – and emotions, get out of hand. Elijah knew he was stronger than that, having focused the majority of his life as a vampire developing unmatchable self-control – never even slipping once until Elena entered the picture.

When the sun began to break over the horizon, he realized he had been out a lot longer than he thought.

He refused to admit it openly to himself, but now that he was firmly in control with hunger aside, the condition he'd left Elena in oddly irked him. He had unintentionally seen Tatia in her saddened face that night and the memory was not so easily forgotten.

Before heading back, he retrieved his jacket from the tree limb he had neatly perched it on before his hunt. After shrugging it on, he pulled a starch white handkerchief out of its pocket to remove the remaining blood from his lips.

* * *

A faint knock on the door startled Elena from her sleep. She quickly sat up to see Elijah enter the room with a small bowl and a glass of water.

"_Tsss_," she breathed in through clenched teeth as her body reminded her of her late night excursion.

Elijah was beside her in a second; quickly setting the dishes on the night stand before gently guiding her back down onto the pillows.

When the pain dulled and she was able to focus, she glanced over at what she discovered was a bowl of soup before eyeing him incredulously.

"How are you feeling this morning?" He mocked lightly with the slight raise of an eyebrow. He sat at the end of the bed deliberately slow so as to not cause any unnecessary movement.

Elena scoffed. His mood swings, which rested on separate ends of the spectrum, were almost amusing at this point.

When she did not give him an answer, he carefully slid up the bed, closer to her side, and examined her for himself. He focused first on her forearms, using feather light touches to move the gashes in her sweater around just enough to see the extent of the damage underneath.

The closeness made her feel entirely uneasy, his forehead hovering just above her shoulder while he continued to assess her wounds. She would have gladly moved away from his touch, but she knew that searing pain would be the only result.

He lingered for a moment, particularly interested in something on her right arm. She looked down to where he was starring just as he slid a shred of sweater out of the way, revealing an unmistakably hand-shaped bruise just above the crease her elbow.

An obscure look of mortification passed over his face as Elena's eyes rose to meet his.

Why did he feel like such a disgusting monster for leaving a mark on her? He was pretty sure he had just slaughtered half the forest with little remorse, but this – this stirred something deep within him.

Elena's own expression fell as her gaze moved back to the bruise. It was large and deep lavender, the edges of his long fingermarks faintly outlined in pink.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Elijah move slightly before she felt his feather light touch under her chin. She tightly closed her eyes in response, not wanting any of this to be happening.

With more tenderness than she had ever felt come from a touch, he tilted her head up, holding it steady for a moment until her eyes finally opened to meet his.

"I am so sorry, Elena."

It was the first time he had ever spoken her name aloud and it rolled sweetly off his tongue in an accent she could not place. The sincerity that filled his tone perfectly matched his deeply troubled expression. It was a look of shame and subtle self-loathing; one Elena easily recognized and knew all too well.

As much as she wanted to, she could not force her eyes off his. At this point, she knew Elijah did not say things unless he meant them, but even if that were not the case she would have known this was real. His humanity had switched on like a spotlight focused directly upon her.

She searched, but could not find words.

He was the first one to break their gaze as his hand left her chin to reach down and softly lift her hand into his.

"I have to remove these thorns before your wounds become infected," he uttered, his masked tone beginning to fall back into place.

She merely nodded, knowing he was going to do it regardless of what she said, yet for the first time she did not feel the need to stop him. She was still unable to wrap her mind around what just happened but it had surprisingly enabled her guard to slightly fall.

She looked the opposite direction, her bottom lip held securely between her teeth, preparing for pain.

It was not as bad as she expected. His cool fingers worked fast yet delicately, causing only a slight sting each time a thorn was lifted from skin. As she grew used to the repeated sensation, her mind began to wander.

"Where are we?" She pondered aloud, her eyes finding their way toward the window.

"We are in one of my safe-houses. I'm sure you'd understand if I choose to keep the location disclosed," he replied casually, still focused completely on his work.

"We're in the middle of nowhere aren't we?" She thought back to her sprint through the unyielding trees.

"Let's just say I am good at not being found," he responded as he leaned slightly across her to take her opposite hand into his and continued the process.

The stinging sensation picked up again when he moved to the new arm. She looked down to check his progress, but hesitated when she realized her face was now much too close to his.

When he felt her move, he paused for a moment and looked up to find her curious gaze only inches from him.

"Why are you being so nice to me? Tending to my wounds... Soup..."

Her question earned her a shallow chuckle as he sat up. "You are being held captive, covered in injuries of all colors and shapes – yet you ask me why I am being nice to you?"

"Well everything but the captive part wasn't directly your fault. This was my own stupidity," she grimaced, carefully lifting a splotched arm into the air between them. "So yes, I guess I am."

His face clouded over briefly as he caught another glimpse of the bruise he left her with. This girl really was a martyr wasn't she? While Elena had put him through some trials in the last couple days, his sins topped hers without question. This whole 'holding her prisoner' thing was made much easier for him due to her tragic self-depreciation.

"I merely need you alive and well," he stated matter-of-factly, "and now that you are being still and manageable, I see no reason for further torment," he added with a slight smirk, leaning back over her to continue his work on her arm.

This lighthearted side of Elijah helped to loosen her tension a little but also left her more bewildered than ever before. If he was going to hurt her, he would have already, given both a reason to and many chances spread out before him. But instead here he was, perched at her side, playing doctor.

"Instead of going through so much trouble, why don't you just heal me with your blood?" She asked, truly curious. She was so used to being force-fed by either Stefan or Damon every time she suffered so much as a scratch that it had almost become a normal occurrence for her.

He exhaled through his nose and shook his head slightly in disbelief. Had she really just questioned why an original wouldn't just hand over his blood as if it were aspirin?

"I cannot trust what you would do with vampire blood in your system," he clearly referred back to her escape attempt, "and besides, your wounds are not too much for your own body to handle with time."

His words strangely earned him a sliver of her gratitude. While everyone around her had placed her high upon a pedestal and smothered her with protection, Elijah saw her as just a human. To anyone else, she knew the concept would seem incredibly backwards but to her, it was refreshing.

"Thank you for that," her earnest tone pulled his puzzled gaze back to her.

"Now you're thanking me?" His astonishment showed true on his features.

"It takes me being captured for someone to finally treat me like I'm _just_ a human being," it was her turn to return his wit, slightly smiling despite the wrongness of her revelation.

"It takes holding someone prisoner for them to _not_ treat me like a ruthless original," he scoffed, countering her; and he meant it. He was accustomed to people shaking at the mere mention of his name. Instead, Elena repeatedly surprised and challenged him – to the point of nearly driving him mad – and it was, well – refreshing.

* * *

**Thank goodness for weekends and time to write! **

**I really hope you enjoyed this chapter, as I had a lot of fun writing it! **

**Please let me know what you think about how their relationship is progressing.  
Making it smooth and believable is my biggest goal.**

**Thanks again for all the follows/faves/reviews. You guys are truly my inspiration!**


	6. Dear Diary

_I see, see shadows  
of who we used to be  
when I drive, drive so slow  
through this memory_

_~  
**Shadows And Regrets - Yellowcard**_

* * *

Elijah carefully inspected every inch of her exposed skin once more to ensure he hadn't missed a single splinter.

While he had always been a very detail orientated man, he was unable to fully grasp what exactly was going on here. He had been self-sufficient for so long that this time spent dallying over another being should have felt alien; yet as he warily ran his eyes over her wounds for what felt like the thousandth time, it seemed as if tending to her came naturally.

His mind drifted to the short years he had spent as a human. His role as the eldest sibling was one he took very seriously. It was him that corrected and cared for his younger brothers after every one of their countless mischievous escapades. He knew their father would stand for no such nonsense, so Elijah had made it his duty to see that they suffered the very least of his wrath. He would scold them lightly with loving concern while brushing the dirt from their smirking faces, knowing they would be back in some form of trouble before the sun set.

He thought back to his cherished little sister; her braided blonde hair and rosy cheeks. He would have given his life to protect her without question. When she was troubled, he would end her fits of tears by lifting her high upon his shoulders and carrying her to the stables, where they would tend to the horses and talk for hours about whatever crossed her mind. Whenever she couldn't sleep, he would tell her intricate tales of brave warriors and their demons; making sure to always end with good victorious over evil.

Ultimately, tales were all they were.

* * *

Mid inspection, Elena had gingerly picked up the bowl of soup from the night stand and continued to stare down at it hesitantly.

"You made this?" She asked, unsure of whether or not she should eat it, though her stomach was painfully empty.

He shook his head once, her question gently drawing him from bittersweet memories.

"No, but I did open the can," he warned lightly as he rose to his feet. "If _I_ would have attempted to cook, my word to keep you unharmed could have been broken."

His dry humor pulled an upward curve to her lips; one his eyes lingered on for a moment. It was the first time he had seen a genuine smile on her face and knowing he put it there sent a wave of disconcerting heat through his chest.

He cleared his throat as if it would cleanse himself of the sensation.

"Your injuries should heal within the next few days but until then you need to rest," his tone delivered an order more than a suggestion. "I'll step out so that you can change clothes, but nothing more."

_Yes, doctor _was the bitterly sarcastic remark that barely remained behind her now-pursed lips.

* * *

Only after he left the room did she hungrily down the soup. It was still perfectly warm and felt good in her rigid body.

She didn't know what to think of Elijah at this point. The uneasiness she felt in his presence was still there, but that came along with the company of most vampires these days.

She no longer feared him. He'd shown her his power when necessary but for the most part, she wasn't being treated like a prisoner at all. He had left one accidental mark on her yet his apology was one of the most heartfelt she'd ever received. It was a touching gesture; affecting her in a way she didn't want to entirely understand for the time being... But what she _did _know was this man's humanity was not as lost as his firm façade attempted to prove.

She felt the growing need to know more about him – especially why he was going through so much trouble for her. He had told her there was more to the story but that had to be an extreme understatement. Someone does not just live over a thousand years with only one experience worth telling.

_This man has lived for over a thousand years._ The idea was abruptly fascinating to her. The changes and history he would have lived through had to be unimaginable. But why, after such a long existence, did he remain alone? Just days ago she had only known of Klaus – who was obviously out somewhere finding delight in tormenting the lives of the innocent – but was there even _more_ to the original family that she should know about?

She put the troubling thought aside with a sigh and tried to stretch her stiff muscles. They were still sore, but the night's rest and her _treatment_ had apparently done her some good.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and got up slowly to retrieve her bag off the floor. Knowing that, whether by force or free will, she was probably going to spend the next few days in bed, she opted for a tank top and a warm pair of sleep pants.

As her eyes caught notice of her journal still sitting at the top of the bag, she felt the familiar need to write in it for the first time in a while. She had always confided in it during the most difficult of times, the worst days of her life chronicled in full detail within its bindings in an attempt at some form of relief. These latest string of events would make a _great_ addition.

After sluggishly getting dressed in order to prevent more pain than necessary (the tank top straps sliding up her arms and onto her shoulders left the sensation of fire in their wake), she sat back down on the bed, pulling the blanket over her lap before she let her thoughts flow.

_Dear diary,_

_So much has happened since I've last written that I almost don't know where to begin. The plan to kill Katherine at the Masquerade dance failed miserably. Bonnie used a spell to heal me and she is probably the only reason I'm still here to write this today. I miss her so much. _

_I was captured by a pair of vampires who turned me over to an original named Elijah. Stefan and Damon tried to save me but they arrived too late. Elijah walked through Damon like he was nothing… and I… well I still can't handle the thought. _

_I have no idea where I'm being held. All I've learned is that Elijah is Klaus' brother and they both shared feelings for the original Petrova, Tatia. Their mother used a spell to create the original vampires using Tatia's blood. He hasn't yet told me anymore about their history or why I am_

When Elijah re-entered the room she quickly ceased writing, reflexively closing her journal.

He was now jacketless, the top button of his black undershirt hung open, its arms pushed up to his elbows.

Noticing he had disturbed her from her writing, he made his way to the far side of the room without a sound, selecting a thick brown book from its shelf before sauntering back to the chair. He pulled the seat just close enough to the bottom corner of the bed to prop his heels up as he sat.

Relaxed Elijah was an odd sight. She had never seen him without a pressed blazer on – or comfortable in general for that matter. His shoulders slumped slightly as he leaned leisurely into the back of the large chair. A brown lock of hair fell slightly out of place and into dark eyes that were playfully waiting for her to question his actions. Terrible situation aside, he was undeniably handsome like this.

"Against popular belief, I don't need a babysitter," she muttered, her slight frustration with his brashness overtaking her uninvited observation.

"Oh, you've proven that," the sarcasm in his tone was nearly tangible. "I assume that's your journal?" He asked, quickly changing the subject, resting his own closed book on the chair arm.

Elena nodded, glancing at him curiously.

"What were you writing about so feverishly?" He asked, his eyes squinting slightly with real interest.

"You can't just ask what someone's writing in their journal," was her valid, yet cautious response. "It's private," she hoped he still carried his good mood.

His lazy smile at her words relieved her tension_._

"My apologies," he offered, raising a single hand in mock defense, "I too write, so I know of its importance."

"_You_ keep a journal?" Her eyebrows shot up at his confession. He certainly did not seem like the journaling type.

"More like journals," he corrected, his humor beginning to drift, "when you live so long, you have a lot to write about."

And just like that, she had to know.

"What do _you_ write about, Elijah?"

He hadn't missed her use of his name, her head cocked slightly to the right; those inquisitive brown eyes that refused to let him stray from her question. He paused for a moment, having to look away briefly for some form of relief, her expression once again resembling the lovely face of another.

"Well, I've written about a lot of things. My troubles, my joys, – of my family," his voice trailed off at the end. "Elena, I know you still wonder what your place is in all of this, but I'm not sure if I can give you a proper explanation."

His words were sincere. He had spent hundreds of years waiting for this, seeking retribution from his brother, yet his reasons for doing so were still as raw as any fresh wound.

"Try," it came out sounding more desperate than she intended, but it was precisely how she felt at this point. "Please_._"

He took an unnecessary deep breath as he straightened, pulling his feet one by one off the bed, steadying them on the solid floor before him. Her tone had caused his indecision to swiftly fade. He would try.

"Nothing can kill an original, not sun, not fire, not even a werewolf bite. Only the wood from one tree – a tree my family made sure to burn. The servants of nature would not allow anything truly immortal to walk the earth; every creature needs to have a weakness in order to maintain balance."

Elena processed this information from him quietly.

"My family was quite close, aside from Klaus and our father," his eyes hardened at the memory as he looked past her. "Only when we became vampires did we learn the truth... Klaus was not our father's son – he was from a different bloodline."

He looked to Elena before he continued, who was now completely enraptured by the story.

"When my father discovered this, he hunted down my mother's lover and killed him, along with his entire family – not realizing that by doing so, he was igniting a war between the species that rages until this day."

"A war between the species?" She repeated, her brow creased in confusion.

"The vampires – and the werewolves," he watched Elena's bewildered expression as gears began to turn.

"Klaus' real father was from a werewolf bloodline?" Her brow nearly knitted together at this point. "So what does that make Klaus – a werewolf or a vampire?"

"He is both."

His simple words left her lips parted, speechless.

"A hybrid would be deadlier than any werewolf or vampire. The witches would not stand for such an imbalance of power so a spell was cast that would render his werewolf side dormant…"

"That's the curse that Klaus wants to break?" She spouted out before he could finish, as comprehension cut through her like a knife.

"He wants to trigger that part of him that's a werewolf. If allowed, he would sire his own bloodline – create his own race – endangering not just vampires, but everyone," his eyes grew troubled by his own insight.

Elena crossed her arms to hold back a shudder. The idea of a hybrid Klaus army was revolting – one of him was bad enough.

"There was a time when I would have done anything for Klaus," he continued, his voice growing heavy. "I knowingly brought Katerina to him in a first attempt at breaking his curse. I had helped him then because I loved him, but times – and my intentions – have changed. Klaus must die."

"Katerina? You mean Katherine?" Elena's mouth fell open as realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "I'm Katherine's doppelganger… You're using me to draw Klaus out aren't you? I'm bait." A hand rose to her chest, both signifying herself and attempting to keep her heart in its rightful place.

Elijah's stare never hesitated, confirming her accusation.

"This isn't just about Tatia at all is it?" Her question came out almost frantic.

Elijah made a quick movement with his hand and the book that once rested on his lap now lay on the end of the bed before her.

"The rest is history," he said in a tone that proved his entire demeanor was nearly broken beyond repair. "Your answers – my reasons – all lie in there."

* * *

**It must be said that I adore The Original family. **

**Slow but steady Elejah progression. You have my word. ;)**

**As always, thank you so much for your gracious reviews. Please keep them coming! **


	7. Fire And Flames

_Falling slowly, eyes that know me_  
_And I can't go back_  
_Moods that take me and erase me_  
_And I'm painted black_  
_You have suffered enough_  
_And warred with yourself_  
_It's time that you won_

_~  
**Falling Slowly - **__Glen Hansard_  


* * *

Elena momentarily looked from the unmoving Elijah down to the book in front of her as if both were new spectacles to uncertain eyes. Elijah's pointed gaze also focused intently on the book in a way that if a look alone could set fire, the thing would burst into flames.

The weight of it surprised her as she lifted it from the bed and rolled it over in her hands. It was definitely old, the tarnished brown leather of its binding peeling off in some places, and the edges of its pages darkened with time. No words resided on either of the covers – a title-less book, with only the number '3' branded upon the base of its spine.

As she held it closed between her fingers, her eager thumbs resting on its edges, she looked up to Elijah to ensure that opening it would cause no harm.

He only nodded once to her in permission, his face hard as stone, before he turned his entire body in the chair to face away from her, his eyes finding the window. Hopefully the words within it could explain the things he could not say.

_I cannot take my mother's pain this day. It has grown worse and worse as the sun continues to fall. That vile thing inside of her seems as if it is trying to rip its way out. Even now I can hear her screams of pain ringing throughout the house and I grow more frightened for her wellbeing with each one. My Father ordered I stay out of the room, but I know not how much more of this I can take…_

Elena had to stop there a moment to remember to breathe. These words were hand written in the jagged script of a man and had obviously come from the heart. Something with this much personal value was the last thing she expected to find when she opened the cover.

She looked over at Elijah, silently wondering if he had given her the right book, to find that he hadn't moved. Skipping over a few lines of text, she continued.

_She is a lovely little babe but the damnable thing will not stop crying. It seems Kol may have some competition for loudest of the house. I've never seen a creature so tiny, yet so wild in all of my days. Mother and Father have named her Rebecca and us brothers are to see to it that she is protected from the beasts of the night. Finn tends to her mostly, but that is only because Father will still not allow me to hold her. With Finn's patience, I'm sure my turn will come soon enough._

Elena smiled despite herself, momentarily becoming submersed by the reading.

"Kol, Rebecca, and Finn – are they all your siblings?" She asked, her mind silently puzzling over their whereabouts.

An expression of sickness filled his visible features as he glanced over his shoulder at her and murmured "Yes, they were."

She looked at him with confused sympathy as she contemplated his words, wanting to question him further, but deciding against it when he promptly rose from his chair and wandered towards the window with his back to her. She instead skimmed her eyes over a chunk of pages before a name caught her attention.

_Tatia joined Rebecca to watch us battle today. She is a pretty little thing, though I would never say so aloud around my siblings. Rebecca's sharp tongue can be hard to bare at times and her jealous tendencies are unrivaled. My brother was obviously just as affected as I, as he proved to be more of challenge than usual. While he may have more experience with a sword, my wit will always prove superior. I would have easily put him to shame in front of the girls had Father not interrupted. _

Elena's eyes widened slightly at the thought of Elijah battling for Tatia's affections. Picturing him using brute strength in swordplay was difficult enough, but this side of him that openly gloated about his superiority was one she found strange, even given the short amount of time she had spent around him.

That was her first clue.

She glimpsed over a few pages containing unrequited love that soon developed into a thoroughly detailed, not-so-hidden romance, leading to such horribly violent acts between brothers that she would never dream could come from hands onto one's own flesh and blood.

A paragraph scribbled out much more hurried than those surrounding it caught her eye next.

**_What was mine was mine and my brother was foolish to believe otherwise. Tatia had admitted her feelings for me time and time again, and why he refused to accept this fact and leave it be will forever boil my blood. While our wounds from Father's dagger may have healed, Elijah is left forever to blame for her death and his eternal suffering is deserved in every right._**

Elena had to look over that paragraph again with darting eyes to make sure she had read it correctly. Surprise mixed in heavily with her instant realization that this journal did not belong to the original that stood in the room with her.

"This is Klaus' isn't it?" She asked, her voice carrying the slight shrill of surprise. It broke Elijah from his thoughts and he turn to partially face her, resting his right hand on the wall just beside the window as if he needed it for support.

"Oh, if you've only just figured that out, you haven't even gotten to the best part," he replied, his voice quenched with sickness at her mild-in-comparison revelation. He paused for a moment, his gaze meeting the floor before flatly declaring "I need a drink."

Elena snapped the book shut in frustration, tucking it under her arm and ignored the pain that pulsed through her as she slowly got up to follow him out of the room. She was tired of it. Tired of being left puzzled, tired of the secrets, tired of Elijah's games. She would be damned if she did not get all the answers tonight.

* * *

He was already pouring scotch over a glass of ice when she descended the stairs and found him in a room that was easily determined a den. The cart of alcohol rested behind an over sized couch that claimed the center of the large space with a sturdy looking coffee table sitting just in front of it. On the opposite wall, along with a shelf of books, was a fireplace that burned gently, emitting warmth and soft light throughout the room.

The sight immediately reminded her of the Boarding House, and though she felt the small pang of its absence, she could not deny feeling more comfortable in this room than she had felt since her arrival. She could not decide whether it was the familiarity or her lack of patience that allowed her to, but she had left all of her inhibitions at the door.

When he heard her enter, he filled a second glass and handed it to her as he brushed past her to stand beside the fire, the glowing flames dancing in his black eyes.

"I'm tired of this Elijah," she stated evenly, as she leaned her bottom onto the couch arm to take some pressure off her leg muscles, her drink held securely in hand. "I'm done with the reading, I'm done with trying to solve some family puzzle – I'm done trying to figure you out. Tell me."

A dark chuckle rumbled from his chest as he turned to face her, the light from the fire still catching his eyes. Her lack of self-awareness was humorously clear now as she stood before him demanding such answers. She never failed to prove herself entertaining. "I've been most civil with you through some trying incidents, Elena. I beg you show me the same respect and not test my resolve on _this_ matter."

"You won't hurt me, regardless," came her assured response, as she met his gaze with unfaltering eyes before taking a small sip from her drink.

Hearing her defiance, he decided he would humor himself by turning it into a challenge as he closed the gap between them, each of his paces deliberate and calculating. He looked at her nearly through his lashes as he listened to her heart rate slightly pick up, though she showed no fear elsewhere.

Elena easily recognized this trick, being around vampires long enough to know that they would never fail to rise to opposition, and the lack of care for personal space that usually followed. Though her instincts begged her to do otherwise, she remained still, apart from her head which slowly inclined to hold his gaze as he neared.

He needed her. '_Alive and well.'_

Stopping just before their glasses would clank together, he looked down over her unchanging features for a moment before he spoke. "And what makes you so sure?" His question passed his lip in merely a whisper.

While Elena did not know the depth of his reasons, she knew his sorrow.

"You yourself are hurt," she began, her softening eyes searching his as she spoke. "You stand here before me a broken man, because the people that you loved have somehow been taken from you," she paused for a moment as she reflected upon her own losses. "And that need for revenge that burns within you," she continued, raising a steady finger to lightly touch the material of his undershirt, just over his heart, "I understand it... and I am not its target."

He could only continue to stare down at her then, swallowing once, not expecting anything of the sort to spill from her lips. She looked down to her glass to momentarily avert her gaze, rattling the ice slightly while tossing the decision around her mind to tell him something personal in hopes that it would be enough for him to follow her lead.

"My parents are dead because of me," she revealed, her decision made, the familiar stone forming in the back of her throat that came with each recollection of the event. "They picked me up from a party I wasn't even supposed to go to. On the drive home, my father lost control of our car on Wickery Bridge and they both drowned – because of _me_." She took a deep breath, attempting to stop her voice from shaking. "So I get it, Elijah. I know the pain of losing the people you care about most. And that need for revenge that comes with it – feel lucky that you have someone aside from yourself to project that onto."

He had never thought of it that way.

At this point, Elena was using the palm of her free hand to hurriedly wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes before they fell. The look of despair was thick upon her face, reminding him of when she had pleaded for her family's protection in the woods.

Elijah was taken aback by her admission; such a private matter for her to project openly. She had mentioned something of the sort on her first day with him, but he had simply dismissed it then. Without thinking, he reached out with a delicate thumb to catch a tear she had missed as he watched it fall to her cheek – a thank you for brave words.

She was right, after all. He was hurt, and he would not hurt the one girl that was the means of ending it all. She already suffered enough at her own hands.

His gesture was oddly soothing after a confession that still tore a hole in her chest, even years later. This man was not a monster but simply misguided, like herself at times, blinded throughout his long existence by constant suffering.

His hand left her face and reached down to the slide the book out from where she still had it tucked under her arm. He turned to stand in the light from the fire as he opened it to a page near the end without having to search for the entry of interest. It was then that she realized he probably read and reread the contents of this book to the point where he knew it like the back of his own hand.

In a solemn tone, he proved her theory correct by reading the text aloud without looking down at the page.

_As the sun rose this morn, with it rose my reign. Our dear Mother now lies in ruin, as was deserved when she took what was rightfully mine. The murder of our siblings rests on your hands,_ _brother;_ (he hissed the word as if it were venom on his tongue)_ your interference being the sole cause of all of our curses. I've merely done them a favor, and I promise you that if you get in my way again, you will share their fate. _

_Always and forever,  
Klaus_

He forced out the signature before jolting the book shut in one hand and holding it up before him.

"I found this left upon my mother's shallow grave," he informed her, both his tone and features filled with disgust. "Right where he wanted me to find it."

And with that, Elena understood. Not only did Elijah lose his entire family and his only love, but Klaus had also _blamed_ him for it, leaving the guilt to build upon his shoulders for centuries – and at this particular moment, the entirety of it was worn outwardly upon his face. Never had she so easily wrapped her mind around why one brother would seek to take the life of another. Klaus had taken everything from him in cold blood.

"You know his words aren't true, Elijah," she tried to soothe, though she herself was just as disgusted with Klaus' actions as he. "Their blood is on his hands, not yours, no matter how he tries to justify it."

"It's much too late for that," he muttered, regarding her words as if they were just beyond his realm of belief.

She set her forgotten bourbon on the table beside her before she took a step toward him, reaching out to press a hand under the book he held in a steel grip.

"If there's one thing I've learned from my parent's death," she began, bringing her other hand to rest around his, gently urging his fingers to loosen, "it's that you have to let go of the guilt."

He had guessed what she was going to do as soon as the book was freed, yet he remained watching her with complete fascination.

She still held his hand absently in hers as she looked him in the eye for just a moment to judge his reaction before stoically tossing the object of offense into the fireplace.

Side by side, they silently looked on as the flame hungrily consumed the last of the pages that had once consumed the entirety of his being.

* * *

**I REALLY hope you like this chapter as much as I do. Once I started it, I was hooked till about 6 in the morning! **

**Please let me know what you think! **


	8. Blurring Lines

_The truth is hiding in your eyes  
And it's hanging on your tongue  
Just boiling in my blood_

_But you think that I can't see_  
_What kind of man that you are_  
_If you're a man at all_  
_Well, I will figure this one out_  
_On my own_

_~  
**Decode - Paramore**_

* * *

Whether it was the intensified heat from the growing fire or the reason behind its swelling he did not know, but for the briefest of moments it felt as if a scorching poison pumped through his veins. He was unable to move, unable to feel, – unable to think, completely inebriated by the sight before him.

He had known every page of that book by heart, flipping through it every so often to keep his memory fresh, as if he were a masochist and it, his fix. The encompassing anger of remembrance it brought on masked the deep-felt agony for a short while that was ever-present within him. Now the pair of emotions freely mingled together and rushed through him in a way he was nearly unable to handle. Though Klaus' words were reduced to ash before him, his deeds could never be erased.

As the fire dwindled down to its original glow, Elena gave his hand a gentle squeeze before she released it. She had been so wrapped up in his troubles that she was still unsure how she herself felt about the matter. Klaus certainly deserved whatever fate Elijah planned to deliver him, but she had still been forced in the middle of it.

He did not know how much time had passed when he faintly felt her gesture and the warmth of her hand leave his; her presence beside him totally forgotten until then. The realization bit at him that he had just revealed the darkest of his family's secrets to her at his own expense yet he could not find it in him to curse himself for doing so. She had done the same for him previously, after all.

When he finally turned to look at her, the pair of brown eyes that met his were filled with concern. He had not been given this look from anyone else in as long as he could remember – the more common being fear, unease, or the ever annoying lust. He had a hard time believing that her troubled expression was entirely for his sake.

"Why would you do such a thing?" He asked, his curiosity apparent in the slight furrow of his brow.

"What it represented," she shrugged slightly in confession though her tone remained sincere. "Klaus used it as a tool to put you at fault for all the terrible things he's done to your family and for every day you've held onto it, you've taken a step closer to giving him exactly what he wanted."

Elijah looked towards the floor, flashing a sad smile at her excruciatingly thought-out response. "That's not what I meant... I meant why do you seem to care?"

His question silenced her for a moment. She didn't know whether to be offended or saddened by his disbelief in her honest concern, but her search for a fitting answer drew a blank. Though she was in an odd position, she figured anyone hearing such a tragic story would most likely respond the same as her (filling herself in on just how few he'd probably shared it with). In all fairness, he did not deserve her sympathy, but Elena had never been one to judge – even when she had every reason to.

When she could not come up with an answer on her own, in order to fill the stretching silence, she went with something a close friend had jokingly called her, though it rang true.

"Well," her lips turned up slightly at the fond memory but her tone remained grounded as she raised a hand to her chest, "I am Elena; savior of the cursed and the damned, at your service," she gave a slight bow for the theatrics of it.

Elijah had to smirk at that. Her humorous take on the question pleasantly distracted him from his turmoil, though he was sure it was meant to deter the subject in question. He almost hated having to pull the rug from under the upturning mood, but he flipped her statement back on her with real interest. "If that's the case, then why don't you save yourself?"

"From this?" Elena asked with the raise of her brow, referencing her current position as 'prisoner'. "I tried to save myself from this and I still hurt because of it." She looked down over her bare arms with a scowl.

"No," he shook his head, slightly amused by her innocent confusion, "from yourself. You take the pain from others and place it atop your own as if it were your burden to bear. Why go through so much trouble for the undeserving?" Himself included.

Elena took a moment to contemplate his words as she turned to make her way to the couch. If the conversation was going to go where she guessed it would, it was going to take a while. She was never too good at explaining herself. Her muscles were already screaming at her for standing so long, so she sat and crisscrossed her aching legs while silently forming her reply.

It was a question she asked herself sometimes, though the answer never seemed to reveal itself to her. She knew people had often talked behind her back about the girl whose heart was too big for her own good, but she had never given it a second thought.

"You honestly feel that way, don't you?" She asked briskly, briefly ignoring the part about herself and picking up on his poorly hidden inflection. "Elijah, the day you kidnapped me I was scared to death because I didn't know what was going on. I didn't care why you were taking me; I just knew I didn't want to be here. But now that you've told me the tragedies you've had to suffer through, how can I blame you?" She paused for a moment to catch his eyes staring at her in – infatuation? It filled her with a sudden warmth and she had to look away, hoping to stop it from reaching her cheeks. She cleared her throat softly before she spoke again. "As I've said, I know your pain. Like you, I have lost _a lot_. Why is my sympathy so hard for you to believe?"

He suddenly felt the need to sit too, though his muscles were faring just fine. He had warned himself about this – over and over again, but as she sat before him willingly sharing his torment without restriction, it was almost as if she eased it as well.

And that was a relief he could not stray away from.

He walked fluidly around the table, setting his glass upon it as he sat at the opposite end of the couch, angled to face her. This whole 'talking' thing was not something he was used to but the feeling of liberation that seemed to come along with it was tempting enough. He could not remember if that was a common thing or if it was because of the willingness of the girl on the receiving end.

He ran and hand over the lines of disbelief on his forehead before he spoke. "Any sympathy you feel for me is as incredible as it is unjustified," he stated, watching as slight annoyance played upon her features. "You come into this situation a captive, yet you end up weighed down by your own captor's grief." He huffed, the irony of the matter.

"I certainly don't feel like a captive right now," she stated with her coined hint of sarcasm, comfortably curling her legs under her in emphasis, "you're terrible at this."

With that, he let out an unrestrained laugh of defeat. A deep, genuine thing that rolled from his chest, caused both by the wit of her words and the sad truth behind them. She never heard such a sound come from him but the contagiousness of it had her laughing along shortly after.

He sighed passively, multiple meanings thick within his voice when he finally replied with "I warned you I've never done this before."

* * *

They stayed that way for the remainder of the night; Elena relating to his troubles allowing her to easily open up and he having someone to talk to in general after so much time alone. When she would reveal a piece of her past to him, he would match her with something of the same depth. They spoke of the pain and sorrow that came with mourning, of family and how it was to be cherished, and even a little of love and its bittersweet tendencies.

She told him of Jenna and Jeremy and how they really were all the family she had left. She spoke of the Salvatores and how they had changed her life in so many ways; some good and some bad, how they loved her in a way that was smothering at times but they were always there for her. She even told him about her parents; how they had showed Jeremy and herself so much love when they were alive and how she still cried herself to sleep sometimes due to their absence.

She told him of her passion for writing. How keeping a journal was her way of coming to terms with all the hardships she's had to face. How this night was going to be written down simply because of the small victory she felt in using her own pain to help someone shed some of theirs – and how getting it off her chest to someone who could relate was doing the same for her in return.

Though he started out more hesitant, he couldn't help himself but to follow her reverent lead.

He told her of his younger siblings and how, when they were human, they looked up to him as a hero in times of trouble. He spoke of the good times, when he had taught each of them how to horseback ride or how he had spent hours bent over scrolls, teaching them to read different languages.

He told her of how he watched Klaus change over time from one of his closest companions to the power-obsessed monster he became. How he had felt like a failure when he was not there to stop Klaus from murdering his entire family, carrying that feeling of shame with him till this day. How there were no bodies for him to mourn over, leaving him without closure for all this time.

He spoke briefly of Tatia, mentioning how similar each of the doppelgängers appeared but spending more time on their wide distinction in personalities (how she held more courage and sincerity than the pair of her predecessors combined). He spoke of Katherine and how he made the mistake of caring for her due to her resemblance; her selfish actions causing him to swear off the emotion all together.

They spoke of lighter things; the changes of music throughout history, how he favored the smoother ballads and jazzes while she enjoyed anything with meaningful lyrics. How he always worse a suit because throughout time, it was the only style that never seemed to fade. They touched upon how he had watched the rest of the world change before him, her eyes widening slightly when he'd tell tales of brutal wars and times of hardship and the lesser known advantages of being a vampire at the time.

Their conversation only came to an end when Elena's eyes could no longer remain open, her head resting sleepily on the arm of the couch. Elijah couldn't help but to simply stare at her for a moment when he noticed her that way. Like her predecessors, she was beyond beautiful, even in her battered, pajama-clad state, but it was her unyielding bravery and selflessness that made her truly remarkable to him as she now lay completely vulnerable in her slumber.

The last time he opened up to someone as he just had to Elena, it was to Tatia herself but she had abused his trust the day she allowed his brother to join him in her heart. Since then, he was unable the share a similar connection with anyone, the pain of betrayal out-weighing the risk.

Elena, on the other hand, wore her new-found trust in him as clear as day as her heartbeat slowed to a steady pace and she fell deeper into a relaxed sleep with each passing minute. Her ease of such a thing left him in a state of awe.

Perhaps that is what compelled him to fetch a warm blanket to drape over her and a book for himself to read in the light of the fire as she slept.

* * *

**I wanted to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday with this warm chapter.  
I really do hope you all are having an exceptional holiday season! **

**I know Caroline telling Elena she is the "savior of the cursed and the damned" comes later in the series, but it was just so fitting for this part (and TRUE). **

**Reviews are the best present I could ever ask for! Thank you all SO much! **


	9. Past Of Acid

_I can't find another way around  
And I don't wanna hear the sound  
Of losing what I never found_

_I shot for the sky  
I'm stuck on the ground  
So why do I try?  
I know I'm gonna fall down_

_~  
**Down - Jason Walker**_

* * *

She awoke to rays of light shining through the den windows as the faint sound of crackling logs filled the air. She was comfortable in both the blanket she found herself wrapped in and the heat from the fire that still burned as if it had been tended to throughout the night, though it seemed she was alone in the room.

She lay still, enjoying those few moments where nothing in the world was wrong. Her limbs didn't hurt as long as she didn't move and her mind was momentarily lulled by quiet of her surroundings.

The peace was short lived as conscious thought became insistent and her mind immediately went back to the night before.

To be honest, she was used to people opening up to her, finding pride in knowing her friends could trust her with whatever was on their minds. But Elijah had laid so much upon her in one night that it was hard to take it all in. Most of his life had been centered around pain, his stories filled with death and guilt more than anything else, and she couldn't help but to feel for him.

What was even harder to accept was how effortlessly she found it to open up to him. She had told him things about her life that she struggled telling even her closest friends. It was so easy because instead of him coddling her with condolences like the rest had done, he simply nodded and looked back at her with eyes filled with true understanding.

* * *

Elijah, who had left for a moment to go upstairs and change, heard her heart rate pick up slightly as she drifted back from sleep to consciousness. He had wanted to be there when she woke in order to straighten things out concerning the night before, so he hurriedly slid his arms through the sleeves of his new jacket before gliding down the stairs.

When she noticed his entrance into the den, she tried to sit up in an attempt to be somewhat decent in his presence, but her stiff muscles objected from being still for so long.

When he laid eyes upon the awakening girl, his gaze remained passive though he repressed the urge smirk fondly at what he saw. Her hair was a mess, half of it falling out of a loose rubber band around her olive shoulders. Her eyes were squinted slightly in protest against light of the sun as she used the blanket he'd given her to block some of it out. When she spoke, her words were slurred a bit by lingering grogginess.

"How long was I asleep?" She asked, propping herself on her elbow instead of completing her adjustment to look up at him through the slits of her eyes.

"Well it's early afternoon – so a while," he answered her vaguely with a polite smile, though he, marking it up to always being good with time, knew exactly how much had passed. "How do you feel?"

She realized her face must be giving away the nagging pain she felt as a result of every small movement.

"I'm still sore, but nowhere near as bad as yesterday," she responded in a wavering tone as she willed herself into a sitting position, the blanket falling to her lap.

She looked over herself then, noticing that most of her gashes were scabbed over and the shape of her bruise was now unrecognizable and fading. She thought back to the shameful look Elijah had given her when he saw it for the first time and his heartfelt apology that followed.

"Elijah, what is this between us?" She only half meant to blurt out, but wanted an answer nonetheless. Her eyes remained down on her bruise only because she was too embarrassed by her question to meet his. The tender way he had treated her as of recent mixed with the ease of their late night conversation left her in a haze to say the least.

Her question was successful in making him shoot her a mystified glance though she did not catch it. He had been obsessively trying to figure out the same thing over the last couple of days; the night before only intensifying it.

He had taken breaks from his reading every so often while she slept to think about something personal he had told her, inwardly kicking himself for not being able to find a valid reason for slipping up in such a way. In the end, all it had ever gotten him before was hurt.

"What do you mean?" Was all he could muster as if he had no idea what she could be referring to, replying to her question with another because there were simply no answers within his grasp.

"I mean why do you seem to care?" She asked, throwing the inquiry he had used the night before back at him. He had done more good than bad to her since her arrival and it left her truly curious about his intentions. "You say I'm here as a tool to help you get revenge on Klaus and nothing more… what happened last night?"

Elijah let out a slight snort at her choice of words, which effectively turned down the tension a bit (she made it out to sound like so much more than a conversation). But after contemplating for a long moment, he guessed it kind of was more.

"You remind me of who I thought _she_ was," he said in a low voice, pausing for a moment to look at her with gentle eyes, both to make sure she understood to whom he was referring and to test if he was capable of continuing on with yet another confession. "And as much as I'd like to, I can't say that it doesn't affect me."

Elena looked down from his gaze. She wasn't sure why, but his words struck a nerve, even though she was sure he meant no harm. In the back of her mind, she knew that her doppelgänger appearance, along with her hexed bloodline, got her into this mess in the first place. Hell, she knew that her resemblance was the only reason both Stefan and Damon had even noticed her.

If Tatia and Katherine would have never adopted their brother-splitting ways, Elena may not even have known vampires existed, much less the constant stream of heart wrenching trouble they've seemed to cause her as of late.

Elijah had immediately noticed her fallen mood and before his movement drew her eyes up from her lap, he was perched on the coffee table just in front of her. He made sure to hold her half-surprised gaze before struggling over words that caused her to question if he had somehow read her mind.

"But as I told you last night, you are so different from her as well – from the both of them. And to be painfully honest, I have no idea if I care," he stopped briefly, his puzzled expression moving down as he smoothed his hands over his knees, "I haven't for over a thousand years."

Elijah was more bewildered than she as he huffed slightly at the words that had just passed his lips. Elena looked at him with softer eyes, the anger she felt moments ago being swept away by a new feeling as the man before her once again gave her a glimpse into his troubled heart.

She reached out and placed a hand upon one of his, just as she had done the first time he seemed to be in need of help.

"Elijah, you've been through a lot," her voice came out soothing, but it pulled a small grunt of disgust from his chest and he swiftly pulled his hand out from under hers and rose to move away. Her gesture affected him in a way he could not handle this time around.

"You think I don't know that, Elena?" He asked feverishly, though a hint of desperation was steadily building within his usually stable tone. He moved past table and began to pace behind it. "This isn't exactly easy for me, and your actions aren't helping the matter."

"_My_ actions?" she asked incredulously with a glower in her eyes, her frustration instantly growing to match his. "How does this have anything to do with me?"

"Oh, it has everything to do with you. This compassionate guise you wear," he began, pointing a finger in her direction, "I've seen it before so don't think it will work on your behalf. It's used to soften the unsuspecting and later bend them in whatever way benefits you." He spoke these words to the floor as he tried to determine whether the frustration building in him was directed towards Elena or Tatia or Katerina or back upon himself – or the whole lot. "And don't think that just because we burned that vile book and had a _nice chat_ that I don't plan on seeing this thing through."

Elena ran a hand swiftly through her hair as she watched him clearly struggling before her. Realization struck that, regardless of his words, this wasn't about his _plan_ at all. This man was in denial.

She rose slowly and walked over to stand in the path of his pacing, crossing her arms over her chest, where anger was beginning to boil. "That's what this is all about isn't it? You still can't accept the fact that someone actually cares, so you group me in with the rest of the Petrovas when I show the least bit of sympathy." She licked her lips swiftly in agitation before eyeing him firmly. "That's just fine because I'm pretty much used to it by now, but let's get one thing straight," she started with bitter sarcasm before her tone went completely livid, "I may not have had the _pleasure_ of meeting Tatia, but I can guarantee you that I am _not_ Katherine."

Had she been anyone else, her chest would have already been as hollow as his own.

His fists were clenched tight by his sides as he fought to hold them there, turning away from her glare to make his eyes find the window, using the painfully bright light that poured through as a holy distraction. He held his breath for a moment as he physically felt his self-control attempting to claw itself away.

He was beyond grateful when he heard Elena exhale through her nose and briskly leave the room in her own separate fit of anger, making her way with heavy paces towards the stairs. Only when the room was empty did he turn back around, noticing her glass of bourbon still resting on the table from the night before. It shattered in his tight grip before it had even left his hand as he picked it up and slung it towards the fireplace; the alcohol causing the blaze to spit and rise with a vengeance that nearly mirrored his own.

* * *

Instead of staying in her room, she decided she would shower in hopes to wash away her surges of heated anger more than any actual dirt. She grabbed some toiletries form her bag that she would have to remember to thank Jeremy for packing for her someday and made her way down the hall.

It was a large space for a bathroom, white tiles and cream marble countertops offsetting burgundy closets and cabinets. After shutting the door a little harder than necessary and locking it behind her, she stopped for a moment to look at herself in the large mirror.

At this point, she was completely sick of her own face. Her traits. Her ancestry. It seemed that every solid step she tried to take in her life was negatively affected by her predecessors in some increasingly debilitating way.

Katherine had done horrible things to her closest friends just to get back at her for loving Stefan. She had threatened Bonnie's life multiple times and even went so far as to turn Caroline into a vampire just to prove her power over the situation.

Since then, she knew that Katherine would always stand between her and Stefan. She recognized the look he gave her when he saw her for the first time in over a hundred years. Even if he still held the slightest feelings for Katherine, she would never be able to fully forgive him due to the horrible things she had done.

Katherine also had complete control over the fine line that was the relationship between herself and Damon. While it was apparent that Damon cared for her, she also realized that it was only because Katherine did not return his feelings. She was his fall back girl in any way she looked at it.

And of course, when this mess of a situation brought her someone she felt she could finally somewhat relate to, Tatia and Katherine had both already played their parts in ruining him beyond repair, leaving her with absolutely nothing to grasp once again.

Heated tears of anger began to swell in her eyes at the thought, so she quickly undressed and entered the shower, hoping the warm water would wash it all away.

* * *

Out. He needed to get out. He felt as if the house was beginning suffocating him so he stepped into the backyard seeking some form of relief in the cool, evening air.

The afternoon had not played out as he had planned – but then again, none of this was... Elena was supposed to be his key for revenge – and that only. Instead, his head was buzzing with all sorts of emotions that had him questioning for the briefest of moments if this entire thing was even worth it. _I could just leave now and never look back… I could forget…_

"No." He hissed aloud to himself, swiftly brushing the thought out of his mind. He had waited far too long. This torment would all be worth it when he held Klaus' cold heart in an unforgiving fist.

But why did it feel like his heart was the one being ripped from his chest all over again?

Catching the sound of Elena turning on the shower upstairs, he couldn't help but to recall her words now that his burning anger had dulled to embers. Of course she was not Katerina; that much was easily apparent, but unlike Tatia, was her sincerity – sincere?

In a sick, self-deprivation kind of way, he did not want it to be. He did not want her grief or sympathy because keeping the pain to himself had been the power source fueling his anger towards Klaus for – ever. He did not want to be vulnerable to such a burden of new emotions, although the few he had been carrying were tearing him apart, just the same.

But the man in him – the man he once was longed for a listening ear, an open heart, and her warm, reassuring touch. All things Elena had shared freely though it was grossly undeserved by him. And that fact burned through his usually stoic exterior as if it were freshly picked vervain.

This girl was pure and beautiful – both inside and out, unlike those before her, yet he refused to believe what he saw with his own ever-observant eyes. He had tried with all his will to block her out completely – to keep what was left of his heart and soul on a path solely towards revenge and away from her entirely, as he thought he had learned from his previous mistakes. His mind had done nothing but scream at him to '_push her away'_ over and over as if it were a broken record. But now, it seemed he had slipped up one too many times and his attempts proved to be mind-numbing failures.

A faint growl escaped his chest. The entire situation was maddening.

* * *

The warm water falling down upon her didn't help as much as she had hoped.

She felt physically numb, going through the motions of washing only to distract herself from the flowing tears that now streamed down her face. Her anger had morphed into a familiar, deep rooted pain that began low within the pit of her belly and spread throughout her being.

The growing feeling of emptiness steadily rose within her, though she did all she could to fight it back. It began to overtake her in a way it hadn't since she woke up in the hospital the night after the accident, realizing for the first time that her parents were gone forever and it was entirely her fault.

She began to tremble as her oncoming panic attack left her sporadically gasping for breath in the steam from the shower. She was forced to sit down to prevent her shaking knees from causing her to slip on the slick floor.

She leaned her back against the wall, sliding down it for support and pulled her legs to her chest, wanting nothing more at that moment than to be able to disappear from existence.

She had not had a single solid thing to hold onto since she lost them. The normalcy of her life had been ripped from her that day and just as she thought things were falling back into place, her history came back to bite her in such horrible ways that she never thought possible.

Now, she was right back where she started, alone and struggling to stay afloat above the drowning agony that came with the recurring realization that she truly had nothing. Maybe, if her role in all this did come down to her death – just maybe Elijah would be doing her a favor.

Why his words reopened these wounds, she honestly did not know but she grunted in revulsion when she thought that it seemed only fair if her doppelgänger appearance was doing the same to him as he claimed.

As she wrapped her arms tightly around her knees, letting unrestrained sobs mix in with the sound of falling water, she gave in to the pain as it tore her down piece by piece.

* * *

Elijah listened from outside the house as her cries pierced through the walls of the second story to fall upon his trained ears. For a moment, he merely gritted his teeth, knowing that his words had done what he wanted them to at the time but not wanting to give in to a feeling he still feared with his entire being.

When her struggled breathing grew to become just as erratic as her cries, his resolve was swiftly broken, angst replaced by anxiety as he spun to make his way inside and up the stairs with no need for grace.

Hearing the water still running he abruptly halted, knocking twice on the locked door, unsure of the appropriateness of walking in on a showering Elena, regardless of her emotional state. When her reply was nothing but an unbroken chain of fitful wails, he twisted the doorknob in his fist, sending a metallic '_snap_' echoing through his ears, before throwing it off to the side and pushing the door open.

He froze in the doorframe at the sight.

Elena sat under the water with her head in her knees, her nakedness completely covered by her fetal position and a mess of wet, brown hair that strewed freely around her torso. Her sobs left her entire body convulsing and the attack had taken over her in such a way that she did not even notice his forced entrance into the room.

The next thing she knew, the water stopped falling and a towel was wrapped around her as she was being lifted from the hard tile ground.

His arms were familiar now, but she paid no mind to them as she buried her face in the fabric of his jacket and clutched his lapels in tight fists, holding on for dear life. Nothing mattered to her in this moment aside from the fact that her lungs were filled with fire and her insides felt like they were trying to tear their way out.

She guessed that she was being moved but she could not care less as to where. She would never find a place she was meant to be anyway. She guessed it was a cruel consequence that came with cheating death one too many times – that the world had tried to rid itself of her over and over again because there were no place left for her in it.

She felt him still for a moment before she was maneuvered up in one of his arms so a blanket could be wrapped tightly around her with the other. Though she refused to look up to see their location, she felt him sit beneath her, cradling her close to him across his lap.

As it began to dawn on her that she was drowning her troubles into the expensive suit of an original vampire, she vaguely remembered him telling her of his admiration of her courage. The repulsive, disgusting façade of it all brought on another wave of chest-shaking sobs.

She was far from brave. Sure, she was hardened by tremendous loss and constantly having to fight for her life in the face of dangerous immortal creatures – but courageous? No.

In times of real trouble or on the rare occasion she would give herself over to grief, she would shut down completely, doing everything in her power to fight back periodic panic attacks, similar to the one that rolled freely through her now. While they had been greatly reduced in frequency over time, the feeling of constant dread would forever remain hidden deep within her. That was not bravery, but simply a developed survival instinct.

The light sensation of fingers gently trailing through her wet hair pulled her from her thoughts. It distracted her enough to loosen her grip on his jacket, though her pain was resilient and still refused to subside in the slightest. With the realization that he was trying to soothe her, came the need to look up to his face. She had to know what he was thinking.

When she pulled back from him slightly, the first thing she noticed through glazed eyes was the huge stain she left on his suit. Though panicked tears still fell, an instant feeling of remorse – and the slightest bit of fear – joined in the mix.

"E-Elijah, I'm s-so…" she began, but when she looked up to meet his gaze, his features were filled with the same raw pain she felt, stopping her in her tracks.

He only held her tighter then, pulling her closer to him in his arms, not giving a damn how much it hurt him because he deserved it. While she had done nothing but try to help him, he had ripped her up from her already thinning roots with just a few pointed words, leaving the once bright and stubborn Elena broken and spiritless before him.

He deserved this.

"I'm sorry," he produced in a broken voice, coming more from his chest than his lips. "I'm so sorry," he repeated, his brows pulling down and together in such a look of torture that it had her crying hysterically once again.

This time she wrapped her arms around his sturdy shoulders, burying her cries in the crook of his neck. In the far reaches of her mind, she knew exactly what compelled her to do so.

She had taken Elijah's hand in his time of need and walked with him down his path of personal darkness. Now, it was his turn to return the favor as she held him close enough for her sobs to vibrate from her chest and roll through his. She knew she was slicing open old wounds in him, just as he had done to her, but sharing her pain seemed to ease it as well.

And that was a relief she could not stray away from.

His entire body went rigid for a moment, her breath at his throat and her fingers on the back of his neck, a foreign feeling that caused him to restrain a shiver.

After a moment, his chest rose in a deep breath and she faintly felt his fingers go back to weaving through the length of her hair. His audible exhale came out in more of a deep sigh as his head began a slow decline towards hers. With resolve, he pressed a single desperate kiss of apology in her tangled hair before gently resting his cheek upon her head, whispering an occasional _I'm sorry _into the air around them as her tears continued to flow.

He deserved this.

* * *

**It was Elena's turn to share.**

**This chapter got a little darker at times than the previous, so I would really like to know what you think. **

**Thank you so much for the overwhelming love I've been receiving in your reviews. You guys never fail to make me smile! **


	10. Glass Hammer

_And I'll be by your side wherever you fall_  
_ In the dead of night whenever you call_  
_ And please don't fight these hands that are holding you_  
_ My hands are holding you_

_~  
_**_By Your Side – Tenth Avenue North_**

* * *

It was almost poetic when thick storm clouds formed in the sky, covering the sun as it fell behind the trees, giving way to a thunderous squall that still raged on in the darkness of night.

Bursts of bright lightening would flash through the window in sporadic jolts, and he would tense slightly in preparation for the accompanying crack of thunder that would soon punish his already wary ears.

Elena had cried well into her sleep, her body growing exhausted by the onslaught of spasms. Tear-reddened eyes now hidden behind closed, swollen lids.

The assault had continued for hours, leaving him feeling more helpless than he thought an original was capable. So much pain projected from such a small being in a way he'd never seen.

He refused to move from under her, his upper back now leaned somewhat awkwardly against the head-board of the bed, her sleeping form draped across him with her right cheek resting just below his collarbone. He sat perfectly still, a statue of a man; his eyes staring straight ahead into the periodic darkness of the room, though its emptiness brought none of its usual comforts.

He was shaken to the core. Disturbed in ways that he did not think were possible anymore. While she had fallen to pieces in his arms, she had (knowingly or unknowingly) dragged him down with her – into depths he was regrettably all too familiar with.

As she clung to him in desperation, he had done the same to her for the shortest of moments. His breaking point nearing – a kiss in her hair, the right words lost from his mind, before falling victim to her suffering – the suffering he had ignited – his plead for redemption coming out of him in the form of _I'm sorry - I'm sorry… _

His immaculate vocabulary had never before failed him in such a way.

His suit was left soaked through but he dared not move to be free of the wet material. Only in slumber did she seem relieved in the slightest from the battle he had just watched her fight, and he would not stir her from the reprieve. He owed her that much.

Even so, her sleep was not a peaceful one. Every so often her features would crumple into a look of distress and her body would flinch from somewhere far off in unpleasant dream.

A distinct movement of her head pulled his attention down to her, having to tuck his chin slightly in the barest of movements due to her closeness. She had turned further into him, her own chin nearly resting on her shoulder, though her cheek was still pressed firmly to his chest. Her damp hair had fallen partially over her face and down his arm, the tips of it tickling his hand that supported her under her shoulders.

Just as his eyes focused upon the lines of her face, another streak of white lit the room and washed over her features in a blinding flash. With the nearly instantaneous crack of thunder came a vision that sent heated anxiety coursing through his veins.

_When he found her body sprawled upon the ground, pale and limp in the soft light that glowed from the remaining fire circled around her, he could do nothing more than fall to his knees at her side. _

_He lifted her lifeless form into his arms and realization struck him like a blow to the chest, ripping the air from his lungs. She was long gone, cold under his touch, her life drained from her entirely. _

_He grew sick with himself when he couldn't tear his eyes away from the small remnant of blood upon her wrists. _

_He wanted it; he wanted to taste it; just a drop…_

His skin simmered in a way that almost caused him to wonder if the bolt of lightening had struck him directly. He blinked his eyes tightly shut in revulsion while he fought back the sudden urge to violently shake Elena awake. His support of her frame loosened slightly in precaution.

The only thing stopping him was the soft and steady sound of her heartbeat that he now focused on, just coming in over the rigorous rain that spattered upon the roof. With his eyes closed, his other senses kicked into overdrive and he could clearly hear all the ticks and breaths rising from her very much alive, human body.

Tatia had been real only in flesh. She was a wicked little thing that turned brother against brother while wallowing in the attention it earned her; though the realization had come to him far too late for his heart to see it as it was. She was never his to lose.

His memories of Tatia… they now carried no warmth or consolation whatsoever. He had fallen in love with the idea of her, the façade she wore doing exactly as she planned for it to. Her skin deep beauty was superficial at best (though he had to admit the minx had nothing on Katerina) and it simply shadowed a rogue heart that feasted upon those unfortunate enough to fall for it.

He had learned the hard way, being the hardest to fall.

He found himself absently staring down at Elena's face as his tension steadily deteriorated.

Everything about her was warm in his arms. She was tangible and real in all of its definitions, - and breakable in his hands. She was blemished by the unavoidable life she led, yet she was left untainted; her honest intentions shining through as true as the sun no matter how hard he constantly tried to deny it. A blooming flower of faith in the darkness of humanity.

Even though he had just watched her break, he had never seen a strength like hers in all his time.

Lifting the hand that had been loosely draped around Elena's waist, his first significant movement in hours, he used a single finger to slide away the intruding strands of hair that had fallen over her face.

He lingered beside her ear for a moment, a chocolate lock dangling lazily over his forefinger.

Even in the darkness, her beauty showed true. He had never seen anything like it. It felt as if he were looking straight past her face and into a tired soul, aged much too far beyond its years due to a stream of internal struggles that he knew he'd added to.

He absently ran his thumb with the lightest of touches over the shadowed lines in the outer corner of her swollen eye. He had watched pitifully as so many tears fell from that exact spot. While most would call them smile lines, he knew better. He also knew she was far too young for them to be so defined, even to his keen vision.

Her ability to hide her own suffering for so long in the face of someone else's was astounding, but he also guessed it was at least part of the reason behind these breakdowns. His words had cut her, that was a plain truth, but the scars they opened had to go much _much _deeper.

She stirred slightly under his touch causing him to lift his thumb just a fraction above her skin.

"_Please don't let him take me -"_

It was a broken plead, but the terrified way she mumbled it in her sleep it caught him off guard. He remembered those words instantly. She had desperately muttered them to Rose the moment before he dragged her away with him…

She cringed then, her closed lids wrinkling as her head pulled back into the crease of his elbow as if she expected a blow to the face.

What she received instead was Elijah's hand, gently cupping her cheek in one easy movement, as he coaxed her head back up to a comfortable position. He didn't mind if she woke at this point because while her reality was bitter, her dream seemed much worse from his point of view.

"Elena," he whispered once and her startled eyes shot open as if she hadn't been sleeping at all.

His hand fell from her face when she jerked up to look around the room with wide eyes. She had suffered a constant stream of horrible nightmares in her few hours of sleep, and while they each differed slightly, the star of them had never failed to wait for her in the shadows.

All she found was Elijah's face, close enough to her own in the darkness that she recoiled back some. The apprehension upon his features was clearly readable, even with her human eyes.

"What were you dreaming about?" It was a whispered question, washing over her in a way that drove in just how close he was.

She turned her head down, both a bit uneasy about their proximity and the subject in question (not to mention her newly remembered lack of clothing, though the blanket left nothing exposed).

While he had other ways of finding out, he found himself wanting to hear it from her.

Without hesitation, he used his free hand to lightly take the point of her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her gaze back up to meet his.

This time she saw true curiosity – a hint of concern? His eyes bore into hers though she did not feel any signs of being compelled. "What were you dreaming about?" His question sounded slightly more insistent with deep interest as he continued to support her chin.

"Klaus." It was a cracked sound rattled from her raw throat.

A knot twisted within him, though he did everything in his power to ignore it. The name passing her lips was not the one he'd expected to hear, though it did make sense. The foulness of it did not belong there.

"Do explain," he coaxed on quietly, his brow wrinkled slightly in anticipation.

"All I could think about was giving up," she admitted in a breath so low that she seemed to be using only air instead of voice. "I willingly went to Klaus," she shivered slightly at the unwanted recollection.

Though his expression remained passive, he was left bewildered by her confession, it again being nothing close to what he anticipated. He let his hand drop from her face, bidding her to continue with a single controlled nod.

"All I can remember is fear," she started, blinking a few times in a forced attempt to recall her dreams. "Each time, I saw his shadow walking towards me, but it was so dark…" she paused to look down, struggling over her words. "I didn't want him to take me, Elijah – I didn't want to die…"

Had he mentioned her death being a possible requirement? No, he was sure he hadn't in order to keep her as manageable as possible in the beginning... But now, as the notion was tossed openly into the darkness around them, he wasn't sure if wanted her to die either.

"Is that what had you in such a state of panic?" he asked, eyeing her solemnly as he thought back to the scene just hours before.

She looked over his face for a moment, noting his concern.

"No," she shook her head as her expression fell, knowing he was going to want more answers but not completely sure how to explain herself to him. "And it wasn't what you said either," she half-lied, hoping he would believe her enough to not feel the shame she had seen plastered on his face earlier that afternoon.

"That has to stop immediately," was his abrupt reply. Though his mind had offered suggestion, his tone produced an order; enough to cause her to briefly stare up at him with stunned confusion.

He made a point to steady his voice before continuing. "I can already guess the role I've played. Attempting to spare me by denying my part in it will do you no good." He looked at her pointedly. "Your heart betrays you when you're untruthful."

And it had with just a fraction of a jump.

She felt her cheeks warm in the dark as a slight feeling of mortification nudged her. She just couldn't hide anything from him, could she?

"Well it wasn't entirely your fault," she retorted, adjusting herself to slide off his lap and sit just in front of him as if she could have more control over her own body by doing so.

The removal of her warmth left him feeling oddly cold though he knew the sensation was not possible for his species. He slid back some, removing his soiled jacket and unceremoniously dropping it onto the floor beside him before leaning more comfortably against the head of the bed. He had been surprisingly content with the closeness, not realizing it until after she moved away.

She wrapped the blanket tightly around her shoulders, holding it closed in front of her with both hands before she found his face through the darkness and continued.

"The things you said just hit home," she whispered somewhat distantly as she thought back to the list of horrible things that just seemed to grow longer by the day. "Tatia and Katherine have hurt me in so many ways and comparing me to them…" She shook her head, unable to continue the thought because there were simply no words to express the way it had made her feel.

"When things were finally falling back into place, Katherine ripped my life right out from under me," she mumbled, her mind automatically going to Stefan and Damon, causing her to grow more angry than anything. "They've been her puppets ever since she made her _grand_ reappearance."

"You speak of the Salvatores?" His question was a rhetorical one. He had learned of their past with Katerina simply by listening more than he spoke over the years. Nothing was safe from an original vampire's hearing.

"Even after all the horrible things she's done to my friends, to my family, – to me… they still care about her," admitting it out loud to herself hit her harder than she expected it to. She moved her gaze to her lap, hoping the lack of light was enough to hide the sting of pain from his watchful eyes.

"Katerina has only grown increasingly deceitful over the years," he returned flatly, vaguely remembering a time when her presence helped to dull the pain of his lost love, "as is the nature of the Petrovas it seems."

She glanced up to him through her lashes, but he spoke again before she could protest.

"Though that gene appears to have skipped you." It was his own solid stamp of recognition more than a means to console her.

"I could never be like them even if I wanted to," she huffed sickly at the thought, "I can't even wrap my mind around why they find joy in ruining peoples' lives..." She paused for a moment, letting the words run through her thoughts before they passed her lips. "You let me see who you really are last night." Her soft spoken words stirred him due to their truth. "And the way you called me out so angrily today… like it never even happened… they've tried to ruin you as well."

"Tried?" He raised an eyebrow at the word. How after all this did she not see that he was beyond repair?

"I saw the look on your face Elijah – when you held me…" she began, her tone wavering just a bit with the heaviness of the declaration, "you may not want to believe you care – but you still do."

While she felt she was right, his blank expression at her words made her slightly unsure.

A small part of him wanted to believe that, to declare it as easily as she just had, but the overbearing defense he had built against such a concept pushed back with a practiced vengeance. "I broke my promise to cause you no harm and simply felt the need to repair the damage."

His words pulled a deflective snort from her "You and I both know my damage was not all yours to fix…"

"Says the martyr," he scoffed automatically, though he instantly felt sickeningly childish for slipping in such a manner. He rubbed a weary hand over his eyes. "Elena – I…"

"No, no." she interrupted, noticeably crossing her arms under the cover of the blanket. "If labeling me a martyr is what it takes for you to truly believe I want to help, then so be it. I've been called _much _worse."

"Do you fail to see how the wrongness of the concept makes it hard for me to believe?" His tone lifted slightly with a familiar desperation as he referenced her overt willingness to waltz into his plan for revenge. His reclined posture had leaned forward in her direction, nearly begging her for a valid explanation.

The question caused her to reach over and switch on the lamp upon the nightstand before tilting her chin up a fraction to look boldly into his eyes without any protection from the dark.

"What about my life hasn't been wrong?" She leaned her head to the side with the slightest raise of her brow as if she expected him to answer her. "I can't remember the last time something was actually _right._ There's a vampire who looks just like me running around, torturing anyone that looks at her funny. The men who I thought were helping solve the problem love the bitch. And to top it off, I find myself here, playing bait to a psychotic, power hungry original vampire who wants to create his own species."

She paused for a moment, growing a little unsure of her boldness when she noticed the passive expression slipping onto his features once more. Even so, she pressed on. "This," she pointed her finger though the opening of the blanket to wave it back and forth, referencing simultaneously their current ordeal and the title of 'captive' and 'captor' they now wore so loosely, "whatever this is – It's surprisingly one of the _least_ wrong things I've experienced in a very long time."

And there it was.

The fiery side of Elena that he thought he'd left in ruins was right there before him once again. He did not know whether it was her words or the passion with which she fired them off that pulled a half smile onto his lips.

"I don't see how that's the least bit funny," she tried to sound disapproving but her tone remained light.

Just then, a thought crossed her mind that put all jokes aside. "Elijah, I want to help you kill Klaus." She watched as his demeanor swiftly sobered once more. "Those dreams made me realize that I don't want someone like him anywhere near the ones I love. I could never forgive myself if they were caused any more harm due to me."

He looked past her in silence for a moment as her words rang through his ears. She was willing to help for the protection of her family – for the retribution of his… That was a reason he found easy to accept as he whispered his next thought out loud. "Even if it could cost you your life?"

She sighed, steeling her resolve, "If it means they will stay safe… yes."

* * *

**I reached 50 reviews with my last chapter and I just wanted to take a minute to thank each and every one of you who took the time to tell me what you think. It means so much to me to hear that you liked a certain part or how it was written and I have been just blown away by your kindness.**

**I hope you all have an amazing and prosperous New Year (and be safe if you're partying hard tonight! ;) **


	11. Your Worth

_Wake, feel your worth  
oh my soul  
speak the word  
the word that can save us all_

_~  
**Stand And Feel Your Worth - Thrice**_

* * *

Elijah pulled the box from the shelf it had been left upon, untouched for centuries. It was strange, opening up the top and finding real proof that he had once attempted to open his heart to another after Tatia.

He trailed his fingers over the dust covered vial. It brought back nothing more than bitter memories of a vulnerable time. _Love is a vampire's greatest weakness,_ his brother's words seared through his mind like a hot iron, _And we are not weak, Elijah._

Katerina had not given him the time to love her, and seeing as how it would have led him to a similar fate, he was thankful.

He'd saved the tonic as a reminder of such faults but he never dreamt it could ever again serve a purpose.

* * *

After assuring him that she would try to get more sleep (which she knew would be impossible for a multitude of reasons), he had asked her to find him when she woke so he could inform her of the finer details of what was going to happen. When he had reached to switch off the light as he stood to leave, she had quickly spoken up to ask him not to.

Instead she lay still under the covers, staring up at the ceiling and the small rainbows projected upon it. It was a truly beautiful sight; multi-colored fragments of light covering the room like a blanket of stars.

She would not feel comfortable in the dark for a very long time.

Her thoughts never strayed too far from her nightmares, which easily coexisted with just what exactly it was she was getting herself into.

While she was afraid of what was to come, it felt good to be able to make up her own mind for once. She finally felt like she could serve some form of purpose. Her life was in her own hands and she was prepared to do whatever it took to make sure Klaus never made it near her family and friends. She nearly shivered. The things he had done to his own family were horrible enough.

The idea of being free to make her own decisions led her to think of Stefan and Damon. They were all probably going crazy over her whereabouts back at home by now and she knew for sure they would not be happy with her eagerness to help Elijah's cause – Stefan would surely think she had lost her mind and Damon would hear nothing of it...

Jenna and Jeremy would have the police involved by now. Though it hurt her to think of how panicked they must be over not knowing where she was, she almost scoffed out loud at the thought of cops attempting to 'apprehend' Elijah – it would be a horrible thing to witness.

Maybe this new agreement would lower her boundaries some and she could at least contact them to let them know that she was okay...ish.

It was an odd coincidence that she had willingly gone to Klaus in her dreams because it was exactly what she was doing now. She knew she had surprised Elijah with the concept, but it was a reason for helping that he finally seemed to consent with. He of all people understood the importance of protecting family.

After a few hours had passed and attempting to rest became more bothersome than helpful, she decided to give up on it altogether.

As she rose from the bed to grab her clothes from her bag, Elijah's jacket caught her eye. He had left it sprawled upon the floor, something she'd never imagined him doing, the greyness of it darkened to black where it was still damp with her tears.

She quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater before picking it up from the ground.

It was heavy in her hands, the woodsy aroma of nature mixed with the minty-sweet scent of cologne he always seemed to bear drifting up from it. The familiarity she felt with it due to the night before slightly shook her.

There was no denying the fact that she had found comfort in his actions.

He failed to openly admit it after the fact but she wanted to believe he did it because regretted hurting her. She was sure she had felt it in the form of a soft kiss – though she still had trouble deciding if it was imagined it or not. Regardless, the look on his face while he held her was proof enough.

For a while, she had held him too.

Facing so many horrid circumstances over such a short period of time caused any form of consolation to be graciously welcomed – leaving desperation far behind at this point – and that's exactly what they had provided one another.

What was harder to place was why he remained there with her well into the night. She had woken up exactly where she'd fallen asleep. An act that considerate was hard not to read into.

The way he had recoiled from her touch when she tried to soothe him the previous day led her to believe that it bothered him, yet he showed no signs of discomfort as he returned the favor to her in the dark.

_Because he couldn't see my face_, she thought sardonically to herself, though she knew his eyes could see just as well during the night as in broad daylight – if not better.

She smoothed Elijah's jacket over her arms before stepping out to find him.

* * *

Entering the hallway, Elena noticed all the doors remained closed aside from the bathroom (which was easy to see now lacked the ability to shut properly) and one other just past it at the end of the corridor.

She made her way to the entrance to discover what appeared to be a study.

Thick volumes and a set of atlases stamped with glinting golden letters, along with a plethora of dusty looking knickknacks, strewed a long row of shelves that covered most of the far wall. Hundreds of paper clippings were pinned in neat rows around the wood of the outer edges, nearly hiding the shelves' contents from view. A large window claiming the adjacent wall would have shed more light into the space, but the dense storm clouds kept the early morning nearly as dark as night.

A stout, wooden desk took up the the middle of the room, supporting a small lamp that casted warm light over a scattered pile of yellowing newspapers, an ancient looking wooden box, and a sweating glass of iced bourbon.

Elijah was opposite the desk, partially leaned forward with his knuckles pressed to the surface, causing his hair to partially fall over eyes that were focused on one of the newsprints. The arms of his undershirt were scrunched at his elbows as if he'd been busy with something.

Her mind slipped back to the first time he'd looked like this and she had to look away.

"Couldn't sleep?" he asked, glancing over her once as she stepped in the room, his obsidian eyes warmed by the soft light.

"No," she only shook her head, hoping an explanation would not be needed. "What is all this?" She asked, moving across the space to distract herself with the headlines of various clippings.

_Violent String of Murders, Bodies Found Drained of Blood, Chicago Serial Murderer – _she cringed at the same time her eyes widened at just how many there were.

"Though I've kept a safe distance, I have been tracking him for a while now," he declared, an obvious understatement, pulling her attention over her shoulder to him. "A perverse game of cat and mouse, so to speak."

"If you know where he is, why haven't you made a move already?" She asked, turning towards him. Her voice did nothing to hide the sickness of the words she'd just read.

He leaned forward to sift through the papers before him. "He has a very powerful circle of associates and has grown increasingly paranoid over time… He no longer leaves a trail," he clarified, the later referencing her disgust.

"So how do we find him?" She asked abruptly, strictly business. Klaus' atrocities seemed to keep piling up. He needed to be stopped.

Elijah froze for a fraction of a second before standing straight as he noticed both her change of tone and her casual use of the word 'we'. He couldn't decide if he liked the sound of it or not. "_We_ do not find Klaus– he finds us."

"And how do you know that's going to happen any time soon?" She lifted a brow at him.

"Back at that abandoned house, you mentioned Katerina possessed the moonstone and is trapped with it in Mystic Falls," he reminded her (though she had not merely _mentioned_ it, she had been compelled). "It's a fortunate circumstance he won't be able to resist."

She felt her heart rate pick up at the mention of her home town. "I don't want him anywhere near Mystic Falls. Isn't there another way to draw him out?"

He picked up on the despair in her voice. "The ritual must occur in the birthplace of the doppelgänger… although, if you keep your word to help I can offer your family's protection throughout the ordeal. Klaus is not the only one to have acquired vast resources." His tone hinted pride.

"Deal." She easily accepted, putting her trust in him yet again. If she was going down, she'd see to it that no one she cared for was going with her. "Vast resources being?"

"Powerful witches." He assured her.

She shifted the weight of his jacket in her crossed arms, remembering it for the first time since she'd entered the room. The movement caused his eyes to linger curiously on it for a moment.

"I felt really bad for this," she said sincerely, pushing the jacket out slightly in his direction. "I feel bad for yesterday in general… I don't know what came over me."

He thought it over for a moment. "I do not hold you at fault, Elena. You are only human." His tone lacked his usual distaste for the word.

"So were you." She offered lowly, earning her a short glance of dejection. "That was clear in your actions last night."

"I thought we were beyond this?" His tone leaned closer to stern.

She took the hint to stop pushing and instead gave a small apologetic grin down to the garment in her arms. "At this rate, you're going to run out of suits over me."

His eyes lit up a fraction with a tight smile that didn't quite make it to his lips. "While I am humbled by your concern, clothing is the last thing I'm worried about right now."

An unexpected blush threatened her at his choice of words. "Well, I never did thank you," she took a breath to choose her next words carefully. "I know I wasn't the only one in pain last night, Elijah. I'm sorry for my part in it."

He furrowed his brow and shot a glance at the roof as if he were about to object, but the look vanished as quickly as it had appeared. His tongue flicked across his bottom lip.

"You would be quite surprised by my tolerance," he muttered in a tone that articulated uncomfortable (though Elena could only focus on the fact that he didn't deny it). "Come. I have something to show you." He gestured toward the desk with a quick wave of his hand, successfully burying the previous topic of discussion.

She stepped forward, growing a little anxious over whatever it was he was going to present. Her hold on his jacket instinctively tightened as she neared.

He rested a hand on top of the wooden box before the weight of his eyes fell heavily onto hers. "While I can make you no guarantees, I could not live with myself if I did not attempt to return an offer as gracious as your help."

Her inquisitive gaze left his and fell onto the box, just as he unlatched it and lifted the top open.

"If the ritual goes as planned," he began carefully, "Klaus will have a witch activate the spell bound to the moonstone when the full moon is at its peak." He lifted the small vial from the box, slowly rolling it in his hand. "Being both a vampire and a werewolf, he will have to sacrifice one of each before drinking the blood of the doppelgänger – to the point of your death."

Elena swallowed down a lump of fear that had formed in the back of her throat. No matter how carefully he had uttered those words, they would still have made her skin crawl.

"After, while in transition, Klaus will be at his weakest state and I plan on taking full advantage of it." It was a promise.

Though she had tried to prepare herself for this, the reality of it was much more terrifying than she expected. She fought back images of the shadowed figure from her nightmares. It all seemed much too real now.

"This however," he interrupted her unwanted visions with a pointed look toward his hand, "is an elixir I acquired for Katerina long ago." He held the vial out toward her. "It is said to possess mythical properties – of resuscitation."

He stopped for a moment to gauge her reaction to his words.

"So… I'll be dead…"

"And then you won't."

A look of what could only be hope lit her features as she un-tucked an arm from under his jacket to reach out and take the glass container from him. Her slightly shaking fingers barely grazed the skin of his palm.

"You truly cared for her, didn't you?" She asked quietly, her question hitting him, always unexpected.

He pulled his empty hand away and cleared his throat. "That mistake was made over five hundred years ago… which is why I cannot guarantee the elixir still holds its effectiveness."

She took a closer look at the elegantly crafted vial, shifting it slightly in her hand to watch the liquid contents swirl around the bottom of the glass. Her mind, however, was focused completely on the fact that he was attempting to save her life.

"Then why offer it?" It came out as nearly a whisper but its need of an answer was evident.

He stared at her in silence for a moment with unreadable eyes, though a battle was being fought behind them. He had demanded it be made for Katerina because he could not stand to see her die for Klaus' benefit – what was his excuse this time?

He stepped to close the space between them, reaching out with a slow moving hand to wrap her fingers closed securely around the vial under his own.

"Because unlike Katerina, you've shown me your worth."

His touch was cool and light, pulling away just as quickly as he had approached, but the ring of admiration that drenched his tone sent a warm wave of flitters though her stomach. This was not the heat of anger or fear – no. It was something much different.

"At the risk of sounding selfish, can I ask for one more thing?" She asked in a hushed tone, her head still swimming slightly as she looked up at him in the same way that had gotten him to spill his family's darkest secrets to her. "Can I contact my family somehow? Just in case…"

He hesitated, clearly struggling over something in his mind. "I do not think it wise… Your family is not accurately aware of your absence," he stated ruefully with a slight squint of his eyes, "you are on an extended vacation until I alone inform them otherwise."

"All of them?" She shot the question at him through a gasp.

"The names that made up the contact list of your cellular phone." He spoke now as if it were nothing more than a formality.

_All of them_, she confirmed to herself, and for a moment she felt like she was going to be sick.

She took a step back from him. No one had even known that she'd been missing… "How…?" Her voice broke over the word.

"Compulsion. I can compel both humans and vampires using voice alone. It is a honed skill, exclusive to originals – but effective nonetheless." Though her shock was obvious, he showed no reaction to it as he slipped back over to stoic. "I used your phone to ensure they would answer. It was the lighter option of the few I had."

As his words took meaning, she didn't know whether to be angry at him for deceiving her loved ones or to be glad he didn't harm them. It was almost foolish to thinking he hadn't done anything to prevent them from searching for her. It must have been easy to smooth out every fine detail of a millennium-long plan for revenge when nothing else mattered.

He listened as her heart rate began to decline to a semi-normal pace though she still eyed him with heated skepticism.

"I've been nothing but honest with you – even when it's been sorely against my better judgment. I will do whatever it takes to see to it that this goes as planned. Never forget that." If he meant for his words to sound threatening, they had been effective.

"It's just… I thought…"

"Stop searching, Elena. Even if I wanted to feel something more than fine-tuned revulsion, I fear that time has long passed. My actions toward you have been out of kindness but I can just as easily revoke them."

His words made her still for a moment, just long enough for her to make a decision. She put the elixir down on the desk with a loud '_thud' _dropping his coat down beside it.

She did not lash out, she did not voice the opposing words that begged to be released – she simply used her last bit of frustration-fueled bravery to step over to him and wrap her arms around his shoulders in a warm embrace.

He tensed under her touch, his unmoving state making it feel like she was holding a stone pillar instead of a man. The longest seconds she'd ever experienced ticked by as she waited for him to respond.

There were a million different things he could have said at that moment; a million fowl names he could have called her for having the audacity to embrace him; a million words he could string together in an attempt to show her at least a fraction of the same compassion she showed so relentlessly to him. Yet, he was rendered speechless.

Instead, he took an audible breath as one of his arms listlessly slipped around the small of her back, just secure enough to hold her there. An act so strange to him, that for the first time in as long as he could remember, he felt unsure of himself.

The rest of him did not move as his gaze remained hardened over her shoulder; focusing instead on her even breaths at the side of his neck and her steady heart beating just over his sternum.

There was no denying what he felt when she was like this. The allure of the Petrovas had always been a weak point of his, but this was something else entirely. This shattered his uncertainties to pieces. This was real.

She leaned back without breaking the hold, just enough to see his face, and waited patiently for him to look down at her.

When his head finally tilted, his eyes were lost when they met hers, bottomless – and they only deepened with her hushed words.

"Thank you."

* * *

**Please let me know what you think! **


	12. Twirl Of Trust

_And its not complete yet  
mustn't get our feet wet,  
Cause that leads to regret,  
diving in too soon,_

_But I'll owe it all to you,  
oh, my little bird._

_~  
**Little Bird - Ed Sheeran**_

* * *

After a few moments of silence, his arm dropped from around her and she made her way out of room. Though there was still so much she wanted to say, she felt the need for some time and space to accept the fact that her loved ones had no clue what was going on and there was still a chance she may never see them again.

Even so, the thank you she'd given him was sincere. She did not fail to realize that he could have done a great deal worse.

In a way, it was somewhat relieving because if she didn't make it through this, her family and friends would be able to live their lives in blissful ignorance. They would never have to suffer through the pain of losing a loved one; a pain that she knew all too well.

While it was something she never thought she'd be okay with, just maybe it was for the best that they were left in the dark.

* * *

She made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen in search of a distraction and something to fill her stomach. Though it was hard to remember the last time she'd truly felt hungry due to the stress that accompanied constant threats to her life, she had not eaten at all the day before and it left her feeling famished.

Opening the stainless steel fridge door, she found that when Elijah had said he'd stocked the kitchen, he was not lying.

It was filled to capacity with multiple cartons of eggs, a variety of meats and cheeses, a medley of colorful fruits and vegetables, and most of the normal refreshments and condiments that one would expect to find when rummaging through the household refrigerator. The cabinets reflected the same with their endless assortment of breads, boxes, and cans. It was all simple stuff – food that didn't require much cooking.

Hopefully he was just being over-prepared because the thought of spending enough time contained in that house to eat it all was almost as devastating as her reason for being there. If the circumstance prior had been any lighter, she would have had a good laugh over the idea of Elijah piling groceries into a basket at an ordinary supermarket. He would have stood out like an overly-dressed sore thumb.

Elena settled with making herself a sandwich and selected a large red apple from the refrigerator drawer. She filled a glass with water before making her way to a stool and starting on her food.

She recalled the first time she sat there. It was the first place she had gotten any explanation at all out of Elijah and the cold way he had looked at her when he assured her she was just a _pawn_ was fading in her memories.

So much seemed to change since then.

Now it was quite the opposite. She was going to help him take down Klaus for the protection of her family and in return he was trying to save her life. The realization struck her as a captivating one – poetry came to mind, and she smiled slightly between bites.

He had sat just across from where she was sitting now and admitted to once being in love. Right then and there was when she'd wanted to believe there was hope for him yet, but his actions as of late kept her guessing.

* * *

As the day went on, Elena found herself doing whatever she could to keep busy. Thinking too much about how alone she felt in the silence opened a familiar cold hole in her chest that she desperately wanted to avoid falling back into.

No noise came from upstairs at all and she loosely wondered if Elijah had even moved yet. The look in his eyes after she'd thanked him left her nothing to work with and that was somewhat alarming. She could only hope her actions hadn't caused him to change his mind about his offer.

She fought the urge to check for herself, despite the lack of much else to do. Instead, she decided to spend some time exploring the first floor of the house to distract herself.

Making her way across the kitchen to the opposite side of the stairwell, she found a door tucked just behind it, opening to a small closet that served as a wine cellar. The walls were covered in racks, each slot filled with dark bottles labeled in languages she'd never seen before. A thick blanket of dust seemed to cover mostly everything in the tight space, hinting at its time spent untouched.

She moved on, gently pushing the door shut behind her, to make her way towards a back room of the house. It seemed to be a less ventured space, the interior and walls mostly empty aside from a row of white vertical blinds that covered the back wall.

Making her way over to them, she absently ran her fingers across each one as they briefly indented and returned to formation under her touch like the keys of a piano. Once she made her way to the end, she grabbed the plastic wand, twisting it a few times to turn the shades on their side.

The view opened up to an expansive grassy field, littered with patches of colorful wildflowers, blooming bright after the long night's rain. Around fifty yards or so from the house, the field met the edge of a large pond that reflected the view of the skyline like a mirror. Beyond it, the horizon was ridged by tree-covered mountains, whose soft slopes just barely pierced through the low-lying clouds.

The view took her breath away.

Light from the midday sun fighting to break through grey cover shone in, brightening up a large portion of the area around her. She welcomed the feeling of its warmth on her skin as she squinted her eyes and tilted her head up to bask in it for a moment. It was a missed feeling, being trapped inside for so long.

Turning to face the den, she noticed that with the natural light replacing the soft glow of the fire, it almost looked like a different room entirely.

She made her way across the threshold to the back of the spacious area, discovering a large wooden cupboard, capped by decorative glass doors. Opening them, she found a record player off to the left that looked old enough to disintegrate to dust if touched. The remainder of the shelf space was packed with records in sleeves of every color.

She trailed curious fingers their spines, scrunching her brow at the strange names she could make out while trying to imagine what genre they could be.

A glossy black sleeve, sticking out just a fraction past the others, caught her attention. She pulled it from its resting place and turned it over in her hands. There were no words on this one, nothing to signify an artist or even a title.

She grew a little anxious when she slipped the record out, holding it by the edges between her palms, finding it to be just as blank as its sheath. She had never held a record before, much less played one, and she knew breaking it could spell trouble.

Curiosity won over as she blew fragments of dust from the record player and placed the album into it with both hands, carefully pressing the needle down on top.

The sound started low as the disc began to turn, both the volume and tempo picking up in unison with the increasing speed of the rotations.

The lax draws of classical strings began to fill the room in a lovely harmony. The sound grew and curved in waves that never failed to surprise, gently lighting up the space around her more so than the sunlight itself.

It made her think back to the era-themed dances held at her high school and she wondered which one in particular this had come from. She imagined elegant ball gowns tastefully mingled with a sea of suits and ties. This would have to be mentioned to Caroline sometime.

Her eyes slid closed as she allowed the music to whisk her away from the world around her.

She held a hand out to her invisible partner, giving a ladylike curtsy when he graciously accepted, and offered a polite smile to her own imagination.

As the bows rose and fell over strings, she matched them with her movements; one arm held in the air on her unseen partner's shoulder, the other finding its way into the sharp shape of an 'L' off to her side.

She swayed to and fro, the gracefulness of the piece pulling her lips into a smile, helping to lift her mood as good music always seemed to do. While the tune was lively, the notes were simple and drew on in a way that almost made them soothing. It was like nothing she had ever heard before.

"May I?"

Her eyes snapped open at the resonant voice that cut through the melody and she froze in place, feeling the heat as she turned every shade of scarlet.

Elijah stood a few paces from her, dressed impeccably in a new black suit with his hands held casually behind his back. It was almost as if he had stepped out of the same time as the tune that drifted around them.

Both the twinkle in his dark eyes and the corners of his pursed lips heavily hinted amusement at the sight of her pastime.

He took advantage of her surprise by gracefully stepping forward, ducking a shoulder slightly so that her upstretched hand now rested upon it. In the same motion, he carefully slid his arm around her, his palm on her waist, the tip of his fingers nearly reaching her spine, finding the gesture much easier to carry out now that it was on his own terms.

"Your form was a bit off." His face was a perfect mask of impassive as he reached up, tenderly smoothing his hand around her free one, coaxing it down slightly to adjust the bend of her elbow outwards to a more relaxed position. "Doesn't that feel more natural?"

She only nodded because she couldn't find it in her to do much else. While the position felt natural, the way he looked down at her just then did not. He had held her while she cried, she had just earlier hugged him in a moment of gratitude, but neither time had felt as intimate as their current position.

He hesitated only a moment, his eyes returning to where their skin touched, before taking a step and allowing the music to guide them.

She followed mechanically, still in mild shock over what was happening.

Her feet couldn't seem to match up with his for the first few movements, but finding the flow of the dance grew a little easier with each passing step under his sure lead.

"Elijah?" It was something close to '_is this really happening'_ in the form of his name.

"I came to see how you were handling the news of your family," he informed coolly, mid-step. "The music led me to find you managing much better than I imagined..." his smirk resided only in his tone as even in dance he remained the epitome of stoic.

"You're good at this," it was a thought muttered in awe as she dropped her gaze down to his polished shoes in an attempt to keep up. She had heard his words but focusing on them was hard at the moment.

He spun her once then, the abruptness of it and the tickling sensation it placed in her stomach pulling a small giggle from her.

"Years of practice." He replied with a light smile at the sound he'd earned. His arm moved behind her to pull her back to starting position as he effortlessly fell back into step.

The skill of dancing was unmistakably second nature to him – and it was intimidating.

She did her best to keep in rhythm as they half waltzed, half swayed in small circles across the wooden floor. He guided her gently, shifting his hand on her back every so often to ensure she followed his lead without fail. She had never had this much trouble before, being in attendance for every formal held at her school, – but she had never felt so nervous either.

She tried not to think too much, focusing mostly on her own feet at this point, but she guessed his light mood could only be a good sign. Even so, his ease at such a human convention as dancing left her thoroughly amazed. This was the last thing she had expected from him after his reaction to her embrace.

He was beginning to surprise her just as often as she did him.

To her horror, the swift thought distracted her just enough and she did exactly what she was trying not to do. In the midst of a half turn, she had brought her foot down directly on top of a shining, black shoe.

Though she should have staggered backwards, his hold didn't allow it as he simply adjusted her and removed his foot from the danger zone. The corners of his lips quirked at the look of mortification on her face, though the dance continued on as if the misstep never happened.

"Try closing your eyes again," he offered calmly at the sound of her racing pulse, "you were much more at ease with your previous partner. Dancing is more about feeling than calculating, and I fear you're doing too much of the latter this time around."

She looked up at him hesitantly then, her lips pressed at his light take on the matter, but she remained unconvinced. She was already butchering the dance enough with her eyes open.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

He stilled them for a moment to hold her gaze. "Trust me." It was a soft promise upon his lips. One sent to her in a way that made her heart skip a beat. Two little, poignant words that she found much too easy to submit to.

She blinked only once in indecision before her eyes remained closed.

"Now," he instructed evenly, his hand on her waist flexing slightly, "allow the notes to move through you instead of trying to capture them with thought. Overthinking is your worst enemy."

He stepped left then and she followed, now feeling instead of seeing his movements. He moved right and she shadowed him, the music beginning to sweep her away once more.

In the darkness, she could feel everything. Elijah's shadowy eyes watching her movements; a solid hand gently wrapped around the softness of her own; the cool of his touch on her waist fading as it warmed to match her in temperature. The way the music curled around her; moved with her...

She soon flowed with it, rising with the fortes and curving with the draw of the strings as Elijah now led with ease instead of insistence. She smiled, satisfied with herself, though her closed eyes failed to catch his reaction to it.

He was right. He was always right.

Her footfalls felt natural now instead of forced as she swayed freely with the man in her imagination once more – but this time she was really dancing – with the devil; a double edged sword. A man who was guiding her and holding her steady but would just as easily let her fall if it meant his brother fell too – and at the moment, she was much too aware of his touch and encompassing presence around her.

Overthinking it really was her worst enemy.

She inhaled sharply as she stepped back from him then, opening her eyes, and it was almost as if fate were mocking her when the violins drew out their last straining chord before the record _'scratched'_ and the room fell silent around them.

His hands had already fallen to his sides as if he had expected the reaction, most likely sensing her unease the moment it struck her. His passive gaze only added to the notion.

"You can't do that." Her incredulous tone revealed more information than the sentence itself.

"Take pity on you?" He raised a questioning brow at her, leisurely tucking a hand in his pants pocket. "You seemed in need of entertainment and a lovely young woman such as yourself should never have to dance alone," he added matter-of-factly.

A slight snort passed her lips. "You're beginning to do that a lot," she threw back at his mild smirk, though it was honest awareness. "And you didn't exactly make it seem like it was a chore…"

"I am an original, Elena." He raised a hand to his chest, the declaration of his status never failing to carry an edge of pride. "Knowing the dance of the decade is practically a requirement."

"Well then… thank you," she wasn't going to win this one. "It was actually kind of… fun," she half shrugged at the surprising honesty behind such a foreign word. "It helped me forget for a little while..."

He dropped his gaze to the floor for a long moment as he thought over her confession; him having the capability of providing her with any means of enjoyment being the most prominent.

"Until?"

"Until I remembered why I'm here," she sighed. Her voice felt heavy in her throat.

It was almost as if he suddenly remembered too as his jaw twitched once, his solemn eyes finding the blinds she had turned open.

"I wanted to speak some more with you about that… before I found you preoccupied," he pursed his lips fondly. "It looks like the weather has cleared up enough for a walk… Care to join me?" It was a modest proposal more than his usual command.

Her gaze met his at the window and the view beyond it beckoned her.

* * *

She welcomed the crispness of the moist air as it filled her nose with the scent of wet earth and fresh fallen rain. The green grass was damp under their shoes, but the sun was doing all it could to warm the space around them.

They walked side by side in silence for a while, separated by a comfortable few inches, where only a short time ago she would have felt the need to move much farther away.

Elijah was internally cursing himself over a similar concern. He had _danced_ with her, crossing a personal line that should have never even been tested. He had watched her for a minute before interrupting, the kindred spirit that was Elena twirling in the den as if nothing were wrong in the world. The concept alone was tempting enough, much less the young woman he'd momentarily lost himself in it with.

Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but watch her still; the way she would occasionally incline her head towards the sky. How the sun washed over her, its rays kissing her olive skin. It was almost as if she herself emitted the light as the sun watched on in envy.

He had done the same during the dance. Though her eyes were closed, his most certainly were not.

She had been the embodiment of brightness from the beginning; adding a certain splendor to things the average eye would pass over; vehemently enlightening areas of his life that he thought were long burned out.

A pang of shame struck him with the realization that he was in the process of doing the exact opposite for her. He had stolen her from her home and was arranging to drag her into the darkest depths of his family's rivalry. Klaus would find enjoyment in stripping away her profound virtue in every way possible before he offered her an agonizingly slow death.

The thought that was once the means for a successful execution of his plan was becoming a sickening one.

* * *

As they neared the water's edge, she could hear the low bellowing of frogs and the soft chirps of birds echoing from the distant tree line. Elena had always loved being outdoors, but she took a moment to appreciate the smallest details of it a little more now.

When she finally turned to find Elijah, his eyes were on her in waiting.

"This place is beautiful," she uttered distractedly, her gaze moving from him to the rising mountains beyond the trees. "I can see why you chose to have a home here."

_Home_. He had not had the use for such a word since the tragedies of his past. Sure, he had an abundance of land and houses across the world, but not a single one of them could bear such a title.

"Here is not too far from your own home." He watched out of the corner of his eye as his hinted location pulled her piqued interest back to him. "Virginia has a lot of beauty to offer." He looked at her then, noticing the air of sadness beginning to cloud her brown eyes.

"I'm going to miss it… all of this," she muttered softly, bending down to pick a small yellow flower from the grass. She twirled it between her thumb and forefinger for a moment before releasing it into the breeze, her gaze following it to the skyline. "There's so much out there that I haven't gotten to see yet."

Her words caused him to briefly recall his own travels. Europe, Asia, South America – he recognized the grandeur of entire continents as easily as his own reflection after the length of time he'd spent on this earth. In comparison, she barely had the time in her eighteen short years to explore her own backyard... He had never felt so – ungrateful.

"Have you lost your faith?" He already knew the answer, he'd seen it on her face when he'd offered the elixir, but she needed to hear the reassurance for herself.

"No, I have to have hope." She kicked off her shoes and folded the legs of her jeans up to her knees before wading ankle-deep into the cool pond water. The surface danced with ripples as she kept up with Elijah's paces higher along the bank. "But I know the chances I'm taking… and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't afraid."

As he watched her amble into the water, her simple, humanly fascination with the world around her floored him. If he had even considered offering her his blood to ensure she would 'survive' the ritual, he would have already known her declining answer by observing this single action. Human nature had become so set and predictable that the slightest deviation never passed unnoticed. It was a sight to sore eyes.

"Well I've never met someone so brave," he returned, the sincerity of his voice matching the way he looked over to her then. "Holding any amount of hope in the face of death is a quality few would share with you."

She dropped her eyes to the water parting around her feet, reaching across to lightly grab her elbow with her opposite hand. That word again. _Brave_. She felt anything but.

"Is it going to hurt, Elijah?" Her voice was low as if she were asking him to divulge a dire secret. "Regardless of what happens, I'm going to die for at least a little while… Is it something to be feared?"

Her inquiry stopped him mid stride. His own death was something he never had the need – or want to recall.

She mirrored his movements, halting to face him, her features filled with the angst of her quiet questions as the pond stilled around her.

He remembered the sight of his father wielding a dagger, the pain of it ripping deep within his chest, and then the world had fallen black – only to grow darker upon his reawakening…

"No," he paused thoughtfully for a moment, only able to answer half of her questions. "Death itself is not a fearsome thing." His tone matched hers in weight, his eyes finding the treetops as he momentarily delved in his memories of the past. "There are much crueler fates – though I assume that's a changing opinion, depending on who you ask…"

She nodded in understanding, finding his answer acceptable because she had also been a reluctant witness to the wide spectrum of cruelties this world had to offer. There were multiple occurrences in her life where she could see how death could be a peaceful thing.

She took a step toward him then, remembering that he had asked her out here to talk, though she was sure she led the conversation down a far-straying path.

Noticing her intentions, he reached his hand out, helping her to step up from the water onto the damp blades of grass that claimed the bank. It was such a normal gesture that she took his offer without thinking, only realizing who it belonged to after the fact.

She flashed him a small smile of appreciation before looking at him inquisitively. "What was it you wanted to talk about Elijah?"

He regarded her silently for a moment, absently nibbling his bottom lip as he seemingly resolved his words before speaking them.

He glanced past the clearing at the distant dwelling, signaling it with his hand before placing it back into his pocket. "With our newfound understanding of one another, I now consider you nothing less than a guest in my house." His eyes found hers and she thought she caught a hint of hesitation before he went on. "Unlike Katerina, it is clear that you care about more than just yourself… and your reasons for wanting to aid in Klaus' death prove to be honorable."

Though her eyes widened at her promotion from captive to ally, her lips fell into a frown at the fear that was forever present behind her mask of courage. She had thought about running, just as Katherine had – she had even tried, but her love for her family now anchored her where she stood.

He closed the space between them as he spoke, the intensity of his voice growing slightly at the look of disbelief on her face. "There is honor in your need to protect your family whether you chose to see it that way or not – and it is a trait I can't help but to admire."

The world fell silent for a moment as she slowly rose to meet his gaze, taking in the amount of veneration on his features while attempting to breathe evenly.

The uncharacteristic hesitance of his voice stirred her further. "You've given me your word to help… and with it, you've earned my trust." His tone made it clear that this was a gift in return for her giving him everything but a reason to doubt.

His eyes seemed to open to a new impossible depth as he reached for her hand to press a sleek, black cell phone into her palm with his other. His next words were whispered with the slight shake of his head, though they echoed through her ears as if they'd been yelled at her.

"Don't make me regret it."

The slight gust of wind was all that announced his departure and by the time she could react to it, he was gone.

* * *

**Trust is a beautiful thing.**

**I like to think they were dancing to one of Vivaldi's many Concertos for Strings, but by all means let your imaginations run wild. Ever since "Dangerous Liaisons" I've wanted nothing more than to see Elijah and Elena share a dance and with Elijah being as classy as he is, I'm sure he's a grand dance partner. *Insert fan-girl squeal here* **

**I had a lot of fun with this chapter. Hope you did too! **


	13. Breaking Point

_She would change everything  
for happy ever after_  
_Caught in the in between  
of beautiful disaster_

~  
**Beautiful Disaster - Jon McLaughlin**

* * *

She fumbled her thumb over the screen of the cell phone as if it were an unknown piece of technology. The onslaught of thoughts racing through her head wouldn't seem to connect to her hands and for the moment she was simply stuck.

Admiration…trust…the phone that now rested in her palm. Whose number was she supposed to dial first… and what on earth was she supposed to say?

Elijah had been careful with his words when he told her of their compulsion… "_You are on an extended vacation until I alone inform them otherwise…"_

The thought grabbed her attention just as it would anyone in her situation. If she even tried to tell them of her real whereabouts, would they believe her…? Would they even hear her words?

Should she tell them goodbye…? Was she supposed to slap on a happy front and tell them she was enjoying private dance lessons and a gorgeous mountain view on her much needed _vacation_?

She sat on the ground with a huff, her head cradled by her hands.

Elijah would surely have planned this out just as thoroughly as he did everything. She pushed the menu button on the phone and the screen lit up with _10 Service Minutes _blinking tauntingly across the top. That was no surprise. It was a generous offer from someone in his position. Ten minutes was better than nothing – ten minutes to say everything she needed to say…

* * *

Elijah found himself wandering deep into the cover of the woods. He paced, feeling the need to keep moving in order to prevent changing his mind. The trees offered him protection from her eyes, though her voice would reach him easily through the brush.

He ran a restless hand through his hair. The risk of trust was not one he took easily – one he hadn't taken in a millennium…

It had gone much smoother in his head. She somehow found it in herself to trust him; she showed it in the simplest of actions. Returning the favor should have been just as easy…he shouldn't even be out here.

But when her voice pierced the trees, he froze and listened.

* * *

There was Stefan. He had come into her life in a time when she thought there was no hope left. He helped her pick up the pieces, growing to care for her in a way that she found she feared. She had just lost two of the most important people in her life and had proceeded to build a shelter around her heart to prevent any more pain. Allowing him to get so close caused an anxiety in her that never seemed to fade.

Just as her walls were anywhere near giving, she had found Katherine's picture in Stefan's bedroom. It was an ethereal experience, looking at her exact reflection in a past life, the eeriness of it sending a shiver through her even then, though she sat in the warm sunlight. Stefan would always see Katherine in her… How could he not? All she would ever do is fill the void Katherine had left with him so many years ago… and her return only added to the complications.

And then there was Damon. His monstrous acts could put a psychopath to shame, but there was a human side to him that was more beautiful and complex than any she'd ever seen.

He had kissed her after Katherine's rejection – a forceful thing, brimming with frustration… only to follow up by killing her brother. No matter how many times Damon had apologized or attempted to save her life since, it was something she could never just forgive and forget.

She had been a witness to Damon's undying love for her vampire look-alike; she watched hesitantly as it transferred over to herself when Katherine did not return it; and the fact that he was beginning to find his way into the intricately woven mess that was her heart was a terrifying feeling after everything he'd done.

_It will always be Stefan_… She had told him that with promise at the time… But would it really?

Right then and there it was if the wind were knocked from her chest as she determined what she had to do. Whether she made it through this or not, she would never watch herself follow in Katherine's footsteps. The bond between the Salvatore brothers had just barely been re-tethered after a century's worth of fraying and, given the chance, she would not allow her selfish heart to sever it again.

Her predecessors' actions would not define her. Elijah had warned her of the consequences of such a thing and he, like Stefan and Damon, had been a firsthand witness to the Petrova ways.

Her overwhelming sense of confusion developed an undercurrent of anger as her resolve fell into place. She would _never_ be added to the likes of Tatia and Katherine.

After reaching Stefan's voicemail the second time, she was almost positive the number she called from was blocked. Not only did she have to mutter words that would destroy already fragmented hearts… she had to do it through voicemail.

She somehow managed to hold her tone steady, filling both of her messages to Stefan with a riddle of apologies and something close to the cliché, yet torturously true in her tragic situation, _it's not you it's me_.

Damon's single message contained sincere words of gratitude for his attempt to save her with a long pause before a whispered _I hope you allow more people to see the good in you… like I did._

She had to break for a while after that. What she'd just done would have been an inevitable fate but it didn't make it any easier.

The tears came silently, the pain was raw, but her determination held like steel. They would be better off without her whether she survived this or not – she had to set them free.

She ran her hand through the grass for a moment, anything to distract herself from the hollowness growing in her chest. Two links broken and that was just the beginning.

* * *

Elijah's eyes lifted slightly off the ground in surprise. The feeling that shot through him at her words of departure with the Salvatore brothers was as unexpected as it was oddly satisfying. It was definitely not the desperate plead for rescue he had half expected to hear.

She was keeping her word.

Her selflessness surprised him yet again. His harsh judgment of this girl was in no way her own doing, yet it had been programmed into his mind that those who wore her face were selfish and deceitful. As he listened to Elena release first Stefan then Damon from her grasp, she was setting herself apart from her bloodline altogether. She held a fire that was all her own.

He knew immediately what she was doing – pardoning them the pain of her death if she did not make it through the sacrifice. If the Salvatore's truly did still feel anything for Katerina, they were not worthy of this love Elena showed them so generously to begin with. She was breaking her own heart to spare theirs.

He didn't have to hear her tears to know the action was tearing her apart. The hurt she tried to hide within her guarded voice was easy enough for him to decipher.

* * *

_6 Service Minutes. _The way it flickered at her was almost mocking. Six damnable minutes…

She looked past the lake for a while, pulling her knees close and focusing more on deep breaths than anything else. She would have to be strong for her family. She would do whatever it took to keep them out of harm's way. If all went how she hoped, they would never even have to know of Klaus' rotten existence.

After a few minutes of pulling herself together, she checked the time on the phone. 2:07. Jeremy would still be at school and Jenna would most likely be buried in busy-work at the college. She longed for the regularity of the life they led. Things had been so simple once…

She dialed Jeremy's cell phone number with practiced haste, but stalled just before she pressed the 'call' button. A sturdy lump formed in the back of her throat and the taste of bitter bile rose from it. She felt like she was going to be sick and was again left at a complete loss for words. How was she supposed to tell her brother that she may never see him again…? He had lost so much already because of her…

A message left on the home answering machine would have to suffice. She had given Elijah her word in exchange for their safety, and the thought alone of hearing their anxious voices presented the possibility of her changing her mind.

She dialed her home number slowly, her finger lingering longer than necessary over each sacred digit in turn, knowing that it may very well be the last time she ever pushed them in such a familiar order. Nothing was familiar anymore. Her life was growing completely unrecognizable and she was burning the last few bridges that connected her to its remains.

As the phone rang for what felt like years, she repeated her _need_ to do this within her head in the form of a broken mantra.

* * *

Elijah had listened to the entire thing.

She spilled words of unending love into each of three phone calls following the Salvatores'. The first had been her home, he recognized her family's names as she spoke them into the receiver, but the last two were strangers to him, though they were obviously held dear by her.

She had mentioned the music they'd danced to to the former, her words shaken slightly by an empty, tear-doused laugh. It put him on edge for a moment as she briefly spoke of it, but it proved to be nothing more than an innocent suggestion – one he was surprised to hear at a time like this. The message was completed with a hushed _'Please take care of Matt.'_

The last receiver of her calls, and seemingly one of the more painful, she regarded as her best friend.

* * *

When the minutes were used up, she could speak no more.

Elijah had emerged from the woods at sunset, a bloodied handkerchief in his hand the only evidence that he had been feeding. He'd reached down with his other to pick up the phone from the grass beside her and toss it nonchalantly into the lake before respectfully leaving her in silence.

Most of the following week had been similar. She sat on the den floor now, leaned back against the coffee table, in front of the fire. The quiet was comfortable, but the reason behind it still drew moisture to her tired eyes when it was dwelled upon for too long.

Elijah hadn't spoken a word to her. He would periodically enter the den to prod and feed the flames without a sound. There had been a blanket and pillow set beside her at some point in time but it was barely noticed and remained untouched.

Soundless tears had fallen from her eyes in such a quantity that there were none left. The blankness she felt matched her gaze. It was almost as if she had dropped off the face of the earth and no one would ever be able to notice. Though it was a heavy burden to bear, it was a necessary one and the sheer weight of it didn't fail to remind her.

She had begun to doze from exhaustion every so often, only to be stirred by the same reoccurring nightmares. On the fifth night, Elijah entered to carry out his usual routine just as the back of her head lifted from its uncomfortable position atop the table.

She watched him this time, feeling just a little more cognizant after some rest (if it could be called that). His back was to her as he coaxed the flames with an antiqued poker, just as he had done like clockwork.

While she had been still, her mind had been very busy, in a way that was more tiring than any physical activity.

"Elijah," her unexpectedly level voice pierced the multiple day long stretch of silence.

He paused from his chore for a fraction of a second before acknowledging her with only his voice. "Yes?"

"I'd like to add a term to our agreement."

He placed the poker back with its set before turning to face her. His features remained passive, yet softer than usual, finding a surprising amount of relief in the fact that, despite her request, she was at least speaking again.

"You wish to negotiate?" He walked behind her toward the couch as he questioned her, sliding his jacket off and draping it over the arm.

She turned her head just barely toward her shoulder to find him with the corner of her eye. "No – no negotiating. The deal stays the same." She ensured softly with the shake of her head as Elijah ambled back to stand beside the fire. "But I need you to do me a favor."

The hesitant way she voiced her words pulled his gaze down to her then, but her own had fallen to her lap. She remained that way for a few moments before watching his black shoes silently make their way across the space to where he turned and shrank to the floor beside her. It was such a strange thing to watch an original vampire do… and a prideful one at that. The wooden ground did not suit the regality that he seemed to add to everything around him.

The sound of the crackling fire was all that filled the air for a stretch of time before he took an audible breath to speak.

"You never fail to be honest with me so I must again return the favor." His eyes seemed to soak in the flames as he spoke. "I listened," it was almost reluctant; "I listened because trust is a very hard thing for me regardless of how often you prove deserving." He leaned back against the table, his rarely lax posture now matching hers. "And instead of finding you betraying me, I found that your selflessness is unprecedented, Elena… It's astonishing." The last words seemed to be mumbled more to himself than to her.

There was that tone again, the way he said her name; calm underlined by admiration. If she was anything but completely numb at the moment, she was sure it would affect her in some way. She couldn't even be upset over the fact that he had heard her parting words with her loved ones (it wasn't surprising after all due to his intensified hearing). She simply did not want to feel.

"I let them go because I had no other choice." Her tone remained flat as her eyes matched his on the fire. "They're safe from this now and that's all that matters."

He looked over to her then, the movement catching her attention though she did not react to it. "Then what was the favor you needed to ask of me?" He had guessed it would pertain to their current topic.

"If I don't make it…" she paused, taking a deep breath before nearly losing her front of vigor. "If Klaus breaks the curse and I don't return, I need you to promise me that my death will be kept from them." She blinked twice as if trying to deter tears though her eyes remained dry. "Even if it means more compulsion… I did what I did to prevent them from getting hurt and I don't want it to be for nothing."

He dropped his gaze to his hand for a long moment, which was fidgeting with a button on his undershirt. He found he didn't like it when she talked like this. She confided in him the family she cared more than anything about – enough to go to the length of altering their realities. It was almost painful.

"Are you sure that's fair?" His question was a careful one, but it still shook her some. It was clear in the way her questioning eyes finally found his… her first sign of an emotion apart from agony in days. "By doing so you would be denying them the natural grieving that leads to acceptance…" he silenced for a moment as both of their minds went to the same place at once. "And lack of closure is a horrible thing."

It struck her of how selfish it was to ask such a favor from him. He had told her in a moment of vulnerability that there were no bodies left of his family for him to mourn over – no closure to be found in their deaths… And here she was asking him to hide hers completely.

"I'm so sorry," her numbness slipped as honest shame began to wash over her. "I didn't mean to be so insensitive; I just can't stand the thought of my family suffering through the pain of my death. I remember what you said about your own and I…"

His hand reaching across to wrap around hers stopped her stream of apology.

She knew he could kill with the flick of his wrist, but the solidity of his hold was a comforting thing, rooting her firmly to the ground like she had done for him on multiple occasions. He was playing the role of both moderator and enforcer behind a plan that could spell her death, but she felt nothing but security and warmth coming from the hand that slipped perfectly around hers. It reminded her of their dance.

The feeling instantly shattered the remainder of her numbness, and though pain once again made its presence, the sickening irony that should have come with his gesture never made itself known.

His words pulled her from her train of thought.

"…But if it will bring you any form of peace, yes," his eyes weighed on hers intently. "I would see to it that your death remains hidden if it's what you truly wish." Though in his eyes, she would deserve so much more. A queen's burial with all the jewels in the world wouldn't nearly suffice.

She softly closed her hand around his fingers, her decision set with the nod of her head. She'd thought it over for days. "Yes –it is."

* * *

They talked some then – light things. Distractions. Anything to keep her from sinking.

They discussed their shared love for books and how he had collected so many of them over time; how movies brought them to life for her but never seemed to do them justice in his eyes. Imagination was a much more wondrous tool than anything technology could provide.

How he could speak fluently in nearly one hundred different languages, though half of them were of no use anymore (he would of course have to give examples; the way they rolled so distinctly off his tongue in his unnamable accent captivating her). She had studied Spanish in high school last year, leaving her rusty with lack of practice. He had almost slipped up by offering to teach her one day.

Her hand remained in his for a little longer than necessary and that was perfectly acceptable. To her, it was something sturdy to hold onto for the time; a tether to a world that was doing all in its power to expel her. To him, it was a continued personal torment that grew easier and even enjoyable with time. Maybe he truly was a masochist.

Only when lack of sleep began to weigh upon her eyelids did she darken the conversation with the mention of her nightmares; how they still troubled her every time she closed her eyes and probably would for the remainder of her days there.

He thought of the look on her face, blankly staring into the fire, unmoving; how much it differed from the peacefulness that claimed her features in restful slumber. He had done something very similar when he lost his own family, though he was certain a week's time was nowhere close to how long he'd been gone.

"I can alter them if you'd like," he offered, knowing what it felt like to be so terribly haunted. He continued somewhat cautiously. "But it requires me to occupy your mind while you sleep."

"You can control my dreams?" The thought of him having access to her mind almost made her nervous until she realized he always seemed to know what was going on in it anyway. He nodded in reply to her question. "How?"

The Salvatores had obviously not shared very much about vampires with her.

"First you have to allow yourself to fall asleep," he stood as he spoke, retrieving the pillow and folded blanket from the floor to place them on a couch cushion. "And then I'll show you."

He reached a hand to her then to help her up from the floor, which she graciously accepted. The stiffness in her bones was a reminder of just how long she'd been still.

An excuse to feel the warmth her touch provided him for any length of time was good enough for him.

She kicked off her shoes beside the couch before stretching across it, bending her knees so that the heels of her feet rested against the cool leather of its back. Elijah grabbed a book from the shelf before making his way to sit at the opposite end, just past the edge of her blanket.

She was surprised by how comforted she felt – and it had nearly nothing to do with her relaxed position. The shadowed man that waited for her in her dreams would not be there tonight and she could finally have a break from the pain.

* * *

**This is actually half of a chapter that my muse took and ran off with like a crazy person. **

**The second half will come very soon! **

**Hope you enjoy! **


	14. Just A Dream

_How can you see into my eyes like open doors?_  
_leading you down into my core where I've become so numb_  
_without a soul my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold _  
_until you find it there and lead it back home_

_~  
**Bring Me To Life - Evanescense  
**_

* * *

"Where are we?" She muttered in awe at the landscape around her. She could sense his presence somewhere near, though the scene before her grabbed every ounce of her attention.

The world had only fallen dark for only a moment before she found herself on a high hill in the sunshine of a clear, breezy day. The large body of water that filled the gully below her was as blue as she'd ever seen, perfectly matching the sky above. The colors of autumn seemed to cover the rest of the land; the tall amber trees that surrounded them and swaying russet grass that reached just above her ankles.

Two jagged ranges of dark rock towered high on the horizon, folding in sharp angles and peaking in caps of white. They met at the middle where a waterfall of newly melted snow drained endlessly into the large lake before her.

The air was fresh as it whipped her long hair around her shoulders. There was a crispness to it that told her she would be cold if it were real. She reflexively placed her hands into the pockets of the thick jacket that suddenly appeared around her.

"What you see is Aarmuhle in the late eighteen hundreds," Elijah's voice came from behind her as he moved up from his position at her flank to stand just off to her right. She was surprised to see him also sporting protection from the cold in the form of a conjured black trench coat. His hands mirrored hers, held leisurely in his pockets, and she couldn't remember a time where she'd ever seen him so at ease. "Though it is referred to in present time as Interlaken, Switzerland and contains only a fraction of its natural beauty."

Her eyes widened just a bit more over the fact that she was seeing the landscape as he saw it so many lifetimes ago. It was amazing to think of the various changes it had gone through with time and human interference; but for now it was left pure and untouched – and stunning.

"It's incredible," she breathed turning her gaze to find him. Nostalgia was clear in the way his eyes took in the sight.

"My mother used to tell us stories of the places her and my father discovered on their travels to the new world." A sad smile of reminiscence tugged a corner of his lips. "The way she spoke of this country made it clear that it was one of her favorites."

The same troubled tone thickened his words as it always did when he spoke of his family. She felt the unexplainable need to reach out to him when he was like this; just as she had the first time.

"What was she like, Elijah?" She questioned him with empathy, taking a step closer to him to be at a more comfortable speaking distance (at least that's what she told herself). She had talked with him openly about her parents a while back, but he had barely uttered a word about his own.

Her inquiry made his eyes find the ground for a long moment before he spoke. There were two very different sides of his mother – and only one he cared to talk about.

"She was protective and tender to us…a perfect balance to our father's strict, disciplinarian tendencies… She always did whatever she saw fit to guard us and keep us out of harm's way…" his voice broke off for a moment before he quietly reinforced what was already made clear. "…she made it known that she loved us more than anything."

Her hands found their way around the crook of his elbow without her telling them to. It was a natural reaction, one that would usually be accompanied by her head resting upon the shoulder of the receiving party, but boundaries had been created by her predecessors that she did not want to test. He had admitted his torment to merely having to see her and it would be a selfish thing to forget in the wake of her compassionate nature.

He reached across with his opposite hand to lift one of hers and for a moment she thought he was going to remove it. Instead, he indulged her by maneuvering her fingers to wrap slightly higher around the bend of his arm, sliding a thumb over her knuckles a single time before letting her hand remain there.

As he silently began to escort her down the grassy hill, the space around her grew dark and morphed in unnatural ways before her eyes.

Her searching gaze fell to the new pair of boots on her feet when she felt the crunch of snow beneath them. It was piled thick on the ground and glinted in the dim light, stretching on for a far as she could see. Faint specks sped across the white slush, causing it to glisten all around her.

She looked up to the heavens in search of the source, finding the most spectacular astronomical show she'd ever laid eyes upon. The night sky was streaming with meteors that seemed to dance and cut in every direction through a blanket of stars that shone brighter than she thought possible. The light they emitted was almost blinding compared to the darkness of their backdrop, making them seem so close that she almost felt the urge to reach her free hand toward the sky. She had never seen so many in her life.

"Where are we this time?" she muttered with renewed curiosity, her eyes glued to the sky above.

"At the time of this specific phenomenon, this place held no name – it was not yet discovered." He eyed the spectacles in the night with just as much wonder as her for a moment. "The meteors above us are said to have originated from the Orion constellation, which you can see just there to the left," Elijah adjusted the arm she still held to point out the Hunter in the sky, connecting the three stars of his Belt with the slow drag of his finger. "The Orionid Shower is still visible from earth every year, but a show of such magnitude has not existed since the one you see now… Over the years most of the meteors have gone their separate ways… or have disintegrated to dust." He turned his head to face her then as he noticed his own voice faltering.

Her astonishment at the view above was clear on her features, taking the place of the deathly stillness that had filled them for far too long. The thought of having to see her that way again in the near future was one he tore himself away from.

He noticed her forehead crease slightly as she too began to contemplate something in her mind. His words seemed to always carry more than one meaning and she'd caught this one.

"We have a lot in common with those meteors you know?" She released a breathy sound, somewhere between a sigh and an empty laugh. "It's almost like watching my life displayed before me in the night sky. Together – they are beautiful… I've never seen anything so vibrant." She looked over to find his eyes on her, holding more wonder than he had shown the sky. "But alone, they are just rocks… just dust."

He blinked once as if coming out of a trace before moving his gaze back toward the stars. "Objects that are believed to have lost their luster can still shine, Elena. You are living proof of that."

"And you're not?" She retorted with a bit of vigor. It earned her a questioning glance. "You may think of yourself as a lost cause but your heart is in the right place, Elijah. The only fault you can be held accountable for is loving with all you have… and that's not a fault at all. You've lost so much more than Klaus yet, unlike him, you somehow manage to stay honorable and…sane. That's even more than I can say for myself…"

He considered her sincerity for a moment. "You believe what I show you," he corrected with a practiced calm though her words had not failed to stir something in him. "I am but a shadow of the man I used to be."

"Maybe," she nodded in his direction before her eyes joined his on the stars, "but even the darkest shadows can be brightened by a little light."

He did not show it physically but her words made one thing exceptionally clear to him. He would have to at least offer the alternate option. Whether it was the sickening thought of Klaus taking something else that was not his to take or simply an extension of selfishness he did not know, but the choice would remain hers.

The snow seemed to melt beneath her feet, pulling her gaze down once again to find she was now standing on a narrow, dirt trail. There were other people around them this time, though they seemed to not notice their presence.

The giggles of small children could be heard as they chased one another around a few of the small shacks that formed what seemed to be a makeshift settlement. There were fire pits spread along the circle and a few women stirred food in large basins causing the smell of smoke and searing meat to fill the air.

Two men passed her on horseback as she stepped away from Elijah to the opposite side of the trail to clear their path. The way they were garnished in tanned leather vests and ragged robes gave away that this was also a time long past. She looked down at her own clothing then to find that she was now adorned in an ankle-length olive dress that suited both her taste and the period perfectly.

She immediately sought out Elijah. He stood across the path from her, a hand resting on the hilt of the sheathed sword at his hip as he gaped at the small village with a look of what she could only describe as melancholy.

The brown of his vest and dark pants matched many of the other men that wandered the streets, leaving lean arms and broad shoulders revealed to her for the first time. It was easy to see that he was reared in a period that required fighting for survival. The word warrior came to mind and she couldn't help but to marvel at such a drastic change. She never realized just how much of him was hidden by a suit.

When he finally turned to find her eyes on him, he couldn't help but do the same to her. The last time he had seen a woman of her beauty dressed in such a fashion occurred in the same time they were now. Even so, there was no mistaking it – he was looking at Elena; the selfless, compassionate protector he himself had tried to be.

He crossed the path to close the space between them before bidding her to follow, waiting to speak until she fell in stride beside him.

"This was Mystic Falls as I knew it long ago." He glanced over at her as she gave her surroundings another once over in surprised wonder. "I've learned a lot from you about your family and in return I would like to share a lesser known piece of my own."

She looked to him with a mixture of sympathy and appreciation then. Each of the dreams he'd given her had been linked to his family in some way and she couldn't help but feel somewhat honored that he found her worthy.

As they walked through the circle of structures, Elijah pointed out a few places of significance, ending when they reached the place he had once referred to as 'home'. It stood apart from the rest of the circle, just along the edge of the woods. The dark, emptiness of the dwelling outcasted it from the bustling life that filled the houses just before.

Elijah had only mentioned it with the nod of his head without any further remarks. They instead walked past the house in silence, finding a trail just behind that led into the dense woods.

The tree cover was thick, blocking out much of the light of day, and the wild foliage would have been difficult to maneuver through if their dreamt steps weren't slicing right through it. It was the only thing that reminded her that this place wasn't real. Everything else about the conjured world appeared so vivid and alive around her.

After they had walked a ways from the settlement, Elijah halted her before approaching a large boulder, placing a hand on it in recognition.

"Stand back some," he coaxed after a moment with a light touch to her arm.

In the time in would take to blink, with the single stomp of his foot against the ground, a large crater formed in the earth just in front of them. She knew he could have probably just sent them to their destination with his mind, but he seemed to thoroughly enjoy the process of getting there.

He turned, reaching a hand to her with a light smirk of satisfaction on his lips and for the first time after many, she hesitated. The way he looked just then, dark eyes focused on her as if there were nothing else in the world, his arm extended to her in waiting, ever the gentlemen…

He must have heard her heartbeat (was that even possible here?). "There's nothing to be afraid of down there." His tone was smooth with reassurance. "While the dream is tangible, we are not."

It was ironic that now that he was actually in her head, his previously flawless gauge of her emotions was wrong. Then again, maybe he hadn't been incorrect – maybe it was fear. Sure, she was only human but those types of feelings weren't allowed to exist in her circumstance. She shook it off – she had to.

She actually shook her head slightly as if to clear it before she approached him and lightly placed her hand in his. He pulled her close then, the unexpectedness of it drawing her wide-eyed gaze up to him.

He did a double take at the look he could have sworn he saw in her eyes, but even his vampiric senses couldn't keep up with the speed in which it passed. When he looked down at her, all that remained was surprise.

He jumped then, holding her up slightly so he would take the full impact of the fall though neither of them would feel it.

The darkness of the pit was soon lit by torches sprouting every few feet along the walls and she could make out multiple tunnels that seemed to branch off in all directions around them. He ducked slightly, pacing onward down one of the enclosed caves and she followed close enough behind him to see him clearly in the glow of the fire. The air was moist and heavy and smelled of moss; and though she didn't feel anxious, she did wonder just what exactly he was going to show her in such a place.

Elijah turned sideways in front of her when the tunnel widened to a large cavity and seemed to come to an end. He grabbed a torch from its perch and held it above his head to light up the walls of rock that surrounded them. The flames brightened the roundness of the cavern, revealing its true size, and danced over ancient looking tribal etchings of animals and figures and what seemed to be words in a language she couldn't name, covering most of the wall space.

"What is this Elijah?" She asked, running a hand studiously over a masked figure on the wall to her right.

When his eyes found hers in the dim light, they held the same dejected look he'd given his birth town.

"This is where my family would hide from the beasts on nights of a full moon. It contains my last good memories of my human life." His grave gaze rose up the wall to a row of six word-like sketchings. "Our last hours together as a family were spent here. I did all I could to protect them," his eyes lingered upon the final word of the set, "but Klaus took it upon himself to bring our youngest brother, Henrik to watch the men transform that night..." His troubled tone was enough for her to determine that it had not ended well.

He paused for a long moment, running his fingers lightly over the etchings as if they were a treasured sight to behold. "Henrik's death was only the beginning of the chain of events that changed our family forever." He took a step to turn his back to her completely then. "Our mother mourned greatly and grew obsessed with preventing the remainder of her children from sharing a similar fate… Our father's wrath towards Klaus only intensified. The resulting violence hardened him…changed him." He cleared his throat quietly. "Our mother simply turned her cheek while he suffered our father's harshest scrutiny… She blamed him just as much as he. Niklaus became more of a stranger to us with each passing day."

Sympathy overtook her as his words and the broken way he uttered them in fell into place. Those six etchings were names…and only two of them remained visible on the wall now. "And you feel you're to blame?" It was barely a question.

"I feel like it all could have been prevented," he corrected slightly. The pain in his voice was clearer than ever and she watched from behind as his head nodded toward the ground. "If I would have just kept a closer eye on my brothers that night, we would not have lost one so young… Klaus would have never been abhorred in such a way that morphed him into what he has become… our mother would have never felt the need to turn us into what we are… "

Her heart ached at his tone. She had never heard him sound so wounded. She had known he felt guilt but not to such despairing depths. "There's no way you could have known it would happen that way Elijah." She lightly pulled at his elbow to turn him to face her and he was cautious to oblige. She realized why when the firelight curled in the faint glint of his eyes. "You did everything you could to keep your family out of harm's way but life can be cruel. Bad things happen to the undeserving and sometimes we are unable to control it. That doesn't make it your fault." She shook her head up at him with an intent gaze to drive in her words.

With them, something changed in him - the pleasant feeling of pieces falling into place. Her words of comfort seemed to do just that, and it was something no one had done for him before. Blame had been a weight upon him for as long as he could remember, and her attempt to deter it was effective enough for the time to allow something else to take its place.

He took a deep breath, both to speak and in an effort to contain his long lost composure. "For a very long time I questioned why she did this to us… turned her own children into monsters. I could never accept why our own mother would act out so selfishly…" His eyes softened on hers for a moment before he raised a hand slowly, calculatingly, giving her more time than necessary to stop him – and something deep within him was begging her to. When she only continued to look back at him, the tips of his fingers grazed her temple lightly as he slid them down to tuck a tress of soft, brown hair behind her ear. "But I think I'm beginning to understand it now."

She was learning quickly that his dark eyes were very easy to get lost in – too easy. First he had been speaking of the torment he suffered but now his attention was turned so completely on her in a way that made her quiver. "What are you saying, Elijah?" She whispered up to him.

"I didn't have a choice, Elena – but you do." He watched the length of her hair slip through his fingers as he pulled his hand away. "While your humanity is a precious thing, I won't stand by to watch a soul as pure as yours wasted so carelessly by my brother... I've witnessed my fill of such vile acts already. I am offering you the same fate my mother forced upon us."

Her eyes searched the dirt floor. It's not like she hadn't considered the option with death around every corner, but the fact that Elijah himself was the one offering such a thing muddled her thoughts. While the proposal itself was surprising, it was his underlying affection that held the spotlight in her mind.

"Elijah, I…"

He lightly pressed a finger to her lips to silence her, paired with the slow shake of his head. "There's no need for an answer now. I know the burden. It is an offer you have every right to refuse - but one that had to be given. We will discuss it further when you are ready."

It made her wonder if he always played off his feelings this easily... As if they were nothing more than conversational…

He had just offered her forever.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Thank you so much for such sweet reviews on the previous chapter.**


	15. Back To Reality

_Now that she's back in the atmosphere _  
_I'm afraid that she might think of me as plain ol Jane _  
_Told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land_

_~  
**Drops Of Jupiter - Train**_

* * *

The cavern began to fade around her shortly after, giving over to the serene darkness of deep sleep. It didn't fill her with anxiety as it usually did; lacking the shadows and dreaded fear that had encumbered her dreams every other instance she'd closed her eyes.

She awoke hours later feeling rested as the light from high morning sun lilted comfortably throughout the den. Elijah's idea to alter her dreams had worked wonders and she felt more content than she had in a very long time. It took a moment due to the grogginess of sleep but after a short stretch of blankness everything flooded back to her buzzing mind all at once.

Aarmuhule, meteor showers, Mystic Falls… Elijah had not only successfully distracted her but he'd let her in, showing her places that were important to him, even so far as his own home. His remembered offer grabbed her attention next; the way he his fingers grazed her face, his words…

Only then did she notice she was comfortably curled in a blanket at one side of the couch and when she lifted her head to asses her surroundings, she was surprised to find Elijah still perched at the opposite end.

His feet were crossed and stretched out in front of him, with the heel of his bottom shoe resting on the wooden table. One of his hands draped sideways on the couch arm while the other was still half-wrapped around the open book in his lap. His head was leaned onto the back of the sofa in a way that could not be very comfortable, but the look of peace on his features said otherwise.

It made sense now that her dream had faded into darkness as he fell into his own unconscious state. Seeing Elijah reclined in sleep was almost as wondrous as seeing him in leathers. She had never noticed him show even the slightest fatigue in the weeks she'd spent there leaving her questioning whether or not Originals even needed rest until that moment.

She inched to sit up then, moving cautiously slow so as not to disturb him, freezing for a length of time when her blanket fell to her lap. She could only hope it hadn't been enough to stir him. Only when she was sure it hadn't did she edge closer to get a better view of his upturned face.

The normal sternness that seemed to be permanently etched in the straight line of his brow and the square of his jaw was loosened for the time and it revealed the youth that was usually hidden under the conscious hardness of his features. It brought on the realization that he couldn't have lived a very long life before he had been tuned into a vampire. The trials he'd suffered afterwards over such a long stretch of time had obviously taken their toll – even on a creature that never truly aged. Both tribulations seemed to vanish now as he dawdled in slumber and it was a true spectacle to her.

His long eyelashes nearly brushed against the pale skin of his cheeks in their closed position. She found it much easier to take in his features without his eyes on her. Something about them chilled her while simultaneously drawing her in. They we're intense and bottomless and she couldn't even begin to imagine the things they've seen. With them closed, she had yet to see him look any more human.

The discovery was only thrown off by the complete stillness of his slumbering form. It would have been eerie if she'd never seen a vampire sleep before. She had learned quickly of just how little they required to function… No need for breathing or a beating heart. Just blood.

At the thought, she inched her fingers closer toward his face. With the briefest of hesitation, she slid them with the ghost of a touch across the cool, smooth skin under one of his eyes.

She could have sworn she had saw veins there once, though it could just as easily have been imagined given the battered state she was in at the time. It seemed like forever ago now, but the thought of Elijah losing his composure with bared fangs and bulging veins was both fascinating and innately frightening. He seemed so controlled at all times, even in the presence of her blood, and she guessed it could only be due to the vast amount of time he had to fine tune it.

Everything about vampires seemed to increase with time – senses, speed, power; his strength truly exuded on its own, just as easily as his control, giving him no reason to have to display it. Even the skin under her finger tips held a solidity that reminded her he was far from human.

Elijah had become alert immediately under the sensation of her touch but he did not stir right away, both savoring the touch of her searching fingers and wondering what exactly was drawing her to do such a thing. Though he had made it clear he wouldn't harm her, how severely her curiosity outweighed her sense of self-preservation was still somewhat astonishing to him. He could only imagine the look on her face as she ran her fingers across the cheek of a 'sleeping' Original vampire.

He knew when he opened his eyes, he'd have much different issues to address.

She missed him inhale slowly through his nose as she remained distracted with her exploration, causing her to pull away with a flinch when he finally spoke.

"Can I help you?" He muttered rhetorically, his voice husky with sleep, though it failed to hide an undercurrent of warm amusement. Only his lips stirred while the rest of him remained completely unmoving. "I advise you not do that often to unconscious predators. Some startle easier than others."

She effortlessly brushed off his taunting as his tone allowed her moment of tension pass, though she was left feeling somewhat embarrassed. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to wake you…" She paused for a moment, pulling the blanket around her shoulders and reclining comfortably onto where the arm of the couch met its back. "Do you do that often?"

"Sleep?" He raised an eyebrow though his eyes remained shut and he could sense the motion of her nod. "Not often enough," he huffed dryly.

She gave a small smile to his wit. "Well then, I'm _really_ sorry… sleep deprivation is not fun."

Only then did he slide open his eyes as his head rolled to face her. "Did last night offer any consolation?"

The renewed memory of the events in her dreams hit her and for a moment she could only nod. "Yes, it was beautiful… beyond beautiful. I haven't slept that well in a very long time." She sat straighter to meet his gaze before she voiced her gratitude. It was for multiple reasons and she wanted to be sure he was aware of it. "Thank you – for everything."

They only looked at one another for a moment before her eyes fell with the slight scrunch of her brow and he patiently awaited whatever question was forming in her thoughts.

"The first night you woke me up from my nightmare…were you altering my mind then?"

Her inquiry surprised him a bit. "No," he lifted his head from the back of the sofa to shake it slightly. "I woke you due to obvious distress. Why do you ask?" His eyes squinted slightly, paired with the minor tilt of his head in genuine curiosity.

She lifted her arms out from under the blanket to fiddle with some of the material in her lap. She had reached out to him in a last hope of being saved from the monster he was forcing her to face… It was a wry realization. "Because you were there too." Her eyes languidly lifted back up to him.

He was taken aback briefly as he recalled her plead uttered in sleep, though he studied her with calm eyes that hid the mixture of emotions her words had just stirred behind them. "I would not access your mind without your permission, Elena. All dreams prior to last night were entirely your own."

She nodded in acceptance, finding his words easy enough to believe. What did surprise her was the role he had played...

_Elijah stood beside her in the dark clearing, a cool hand pressed against her lower back. She was sure it was attentively placed there as a means to prevent her from fleeing more than a gesture of reassurance. She had been certain about her decision, ready to give herself over to Klaus if it meant the ones she loved remained safe… until a diety darker than the shadows themselves stirred the tree line and chilling fear doused her flame of courage. _

Her face soured. "What does Klaus look like, Elijah?" Her muted tone reminded him of just how on edge her dream had left her that night. "In my nightmares he never has a form… I think not knowing what to expect is the worst part."

His deliberation of her question was made clear by the slight creases that formed above his brow. He lifted his feet from the table and placed them on the floor before he answered her. "I'm sure he's nothing you'd ever expect. Blonde hair, blue eyes… every physical aspect he bears perfectly contradicts what lies just underneath. The faceless obscurity you see him as is much more accurate than any description I could give you."

"You're biased." She taunted lightly, somehow finding a way to lighten the direction of the topic... But Elijah had been right; even the vague description he'd given of his brother was nothing like the Klaus she spent way too much time trying to imagine.

"Can you blame me?" His tone lightened with false exasperation as he clearly attempted to follow her lead, but it failed to hide the sincerity behind the question.

"No, you should know by now that I can't…" Her features fell as a touch of disgust edged her eyes. "But this isn't going to last too much longer, is it..? The nightmares, the anxiety of what's to come… the waiting... it's a torture in itself."

His eyes found the window, his tone fading to grim as he spoke. "No, it's not long now. The full moon is in just over a week's time…" he paused for a moment, knowing the reaction his next words would pull from her. "And I have received word that Klaus has been spotted in Mystic Falls."

"What?!" This was news to her and it made her heart attempt to beat its way through her ribcage as her relaxed form shot up into a tense, upright position.

Elijah turned back to face her with a careful expression as he delivered the information he'd learned in the midst of her week of silence. He would have told her sooner but with the way she was mourning the fresh loss of her family, he'd decided against it. "Klaus compelled the elder Salvatore to reveal the location of the moonstone, though his honest lack of information on your whereabouts spared him my brother's worst."

Her skin crawled at the idea of Klaus being close enough to Damon to even share words… much less them be about her.

"So nothing went wrong? They're all okay?" Her tone rode the line between total hysteria and utter relief.

"Yes, your loved ones remain unharmed and are still under my protection as promised. Klaus obtained the lesser sacrifices and the moonstone according to plan, so no violence was resorted to… all he needs now is you." His eyes found hers with an expression that was impossible to read. "And you are aware of your options."

She still had a million questions regarding the most recent option and the heartfelt honesty he'd shown while offering it to her but the subject was one she had no inkling of how to approach. Instead it was Elijah who broke the stretching silence with an unexpected question of his own.

"You were – examining my face… Why?"

She bit her lip, taking a moment to form an honest explanation without sounding as awkward as she instantly felt. "I've never seen your vampire face before…not that I want to," she reassured with an unsteady wag of her hand. "I bled right in front of you that night in the woods and you seemed completely un-phased."

Oh, if she had only known how her blood had called to him that night and the things it made him think... Now, he couldn't even imagine how ashamed he would have felt if he had lost it all right then and there… if he had lost her. Shame bit at him for conjuring the memory alone.

"Not completely," he admitted. An understatement was better than a lie. "Composure in the presence of blood takes a great deal of time to master, but anything is possible with enough perseverance." He spoke as if it were a promise.

She eyed him curiously then. "Why is it so important to you? Most of the vampires I've come across love 'the thrill of the hunt'," she used her fingers to shape quotations around the phrase she'd heard more than once from more than one.

He smirked at her theatrics before setting his jaw despondently. "I've always found pride in maintaining morality and keeping clear the difference between right and wrong. While nobody's perfect, I've witnessed the complete lack of care and self-control… and I will never allow myself to descend to such a depth." He huffed humorously then and the contrast surprised her. "That's one of the reasons why I can't stand young vampires. Their lack of discipline can be quite revolting…"

She silently wondered what his definition of 'young' would be. Stefan and Damon were over two-hundred years old, but that was nothing compared to Elijah's millennium. Even Katherine's five centuries seemed belittled. And none of the three were on par with his level of restraint.

"Then why give me the option to become one?" The question passed her lips just as it entered her thoughts, though he seemed to expect it.

"Your human qualities and emotions would only intensify. In your case it would be both a blessing and a curse, but I have no doubt in your ability to persevere." Her unyielding compassion would damper her ability to thrive as a vampire, but her stubbornness would surely see her through. He didn't have to be thoroughly observant to know that much was certain.

"I could never kill anyone, Elijah," she crossed her arms in her lap to halt a chill. "The thought alone is why I can't see myself ever… choosing that path." _Becoming a vampire._ She thought the words over in her mind but just couldn't seem to speak them.

The lightness leaving his eyes was the only indication that her words had negatively effected him. "I know. As I've said, we can talk more about it if and when you wish... and the choice is yours to make…" the forced composure of his tone was easy for her to pick up on at this point.

"But?" It was a whispered question as she scooted a fraction closer to him in thoughtful persuasion.

A small smile lifted his lips and while genuine, the hint of sadness that curved it was clear to her searching eyes. "I am biased."

* * *

**Hi guys!**

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**More to come soon! Hope you enjoyed!**


	16. Complicated Complications

_It__ may sound absurd, but don't be naive__  
__Even heroes have the right to bleed__  
__I may be disturbed, but won't you concede__  
__Even heroes have the right to dream  
_

_~  
_**_Superman – Five For Fighting_**

* * *

It took only a second for the meaning behind his words to sink in as his eyes weighed on her in a way she would probably never get used to. "You were so set on everything going exactly as planned…" her voice failed her when she uttered her next words, resulting in a hushed murmur. "What changed?"

…_What changed?_ It was such a valid question with the undetermined way he felt about the woman sitting across from him. Was it the satisfaction he found in her company… he certainly did prefer hers over most… Was it merely admiration of the traits he held so dear… respect in its truest form…

Was it more?

He leaned on what was certain; he didn't want to lose her to Klaus. His eyes seemed to run over every small feature of her face before he gave the only answer he deemed satisfactory.

"I did... "

The way his eyes continued to take her in left warmth rising to her cheeks and if he noticed it he showed no obvious sign. Instead he turned his position on the couch to angle toward her, reaching out to tenderly smooth his hand under one of hers and pull it up from her lap; a gesture that he was beginning to realize belonged only to her.

Her skin tingled where he slid his thumb slowly back and forth over the top of her fingers; the sensation much more real now that it wasn't taking place in a dream. The comfort and support that had been shown in their previous interactions was replaced by pure electricity under such a deliberately delicate caress.

His eyes lifted from where they touched to meet her own. They softened on hers, something close to adoration clearly present even in their darkness. "When I was made aware of your existence, all I could ever imagine was the duplicated face of a cursed bloodline… but as I learn more about you each day, I cannot help but see you for who you are, Elena." He paused, silently reflecting on something. "You are the embodiment of what I had once aspired to stand for before Klaus took everything from me… and he cannot succeed in doing so again."

His words sent an exhilarated wave of heat surging through every inch of her. She knew there had been something unnamable shared between them, but with the dream and the way he reached out to her (in more ways than one), she was beginning to get a glimpse through his usual mask of indifference into something she didn't quite understand. She was completely unsure what to make of the fact that it caused her heart to beat just a little bit faster.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak, the ringing of a cell phone cut the silence, stopping her short.

His jaw twitched once before he averted his gaze from her, adjusting to pull the device from his pants pocket. Her newly discovered proximity allowed her to see the caller's name flash across the screen.

_Jonas_

Elijah's face sobered to strictly business as he pressed the button to answer. He surprised her by putting the call on speakerphone and holding it between them.

"Complication?" Elijah inquired casually.

"No, nothing too severe," came the man's deep voice from the mobile, "but I do have my usual concerns."

"What troubles you, Jonas?" Elijah's tone warmed a bit with the news that everything appeared to be going as planned, but he continued to eye the screen with a chilling passivity that reminded Elena of her first few days with him.

"Klaus hasn't strayed too far from Mystic Falls since his arrival but I have yet to see Greta with him. He's got a magic barrier around him similar to the one I placed on your hideout so our locator spells won't work. We're having a difficult time keeping close tabs on him."

Elijah's jaw clenched. "He's growing paranoid. Is it possible his witches may have sniffed out your magic?"

There was a long pause before the man replied. "Greta would be the only one who could recognize its source…"

"Then my guess is that she is still alive and well," his attempt to sound reassuring was slackened by a hint of impatience. "Elena and I will be arriving in a few days to assess the situation before the ritual takes place. Klaus must not catch even the smallest wind of our planned interference so I must ask that you stop all unnecessary searching. All resources need to go towards keeping the doppelgänger's loved ones safe for the time being. Klaus will be tracking her now that he has everything else he needs."

"And what of my own?" The man's tone dragged in a way that made her look to Elijah for any form of clarification.

Elijah pressed the fingers of his free hand to his temple, his thumb finding his jawline, as he clearly struggled to maintain a level tone. "My word to aide in your daughter's release can only stand if you hold up your end of the arrangement."

"I understand that but you can't expect me to…"

Comprehension of the situation struck her just as she noticed Elijah's grip beginning to tighten around the phone. "Jonas…" she cut the man off, her voice both steady and soothing in hopes of calming both parties. "Elijah is an honorable man. His word can be trusted… but first we need your help." She paused for a moment as only silence came from the receiving end. "I know how important family is… we both do – And I promise you that we will do everything we can to help yours but right now mine are completely vulnerable and could be in real danger because of all this... Please."

After an unnerving stretch of silence, an audible breath resounded from the phone, and Elena remembered to breathe as well. It earned a sincere "Thank you, Jonas" from Elijah before the man spoke his parting words.

"I will call if anything changes." An abrupt '_click'_ followed and the line fell silent.

Elijah placed his phone back into his pocket, answering her next question before she had the chance to ask it.

"Jonas has been helping me track Klaus for a while now…"

"For his own good reason," Elena interjected matter-of-factly, as if he needed to be reminded. It was her first time hearing of Jonas or the fact that Klaus had his daughter but she couldn't help but feel pity for the man.

"And that's exactly why he and I share a trustworthy understanding. I benefit, he benefits." His rational tone matched hers.

She eyed him with inquisition. "Then why does his end of the deal seem to bother you so much?" There was a coldness about him that she realized she hadn't seen in a long time.

His brow furrowed as if she had spoken some unknown language. "It did no such thing."

She narrowed her eyes back at him. "You just about snapped the cell phone, Elijah…"

He blinked once with a look sliding onto his features that showed he was truly searching for the reasons behind his livid actions. "Well I certainly don't enjoy being interrupted," he began, shooting her a glance that reminded her of their conversation prior to the impeccably timed phone call, "but I can only mark the way I regard Jonas' intentions up to habit. His haste to rescue his daughter has the potential to ruin everything and I'd be lying if I said it didn't wear my patience thin."

That was already made clear to her by his complete transformation of moods.

"…It's his daughter, Elijah – his family," she coaxed, as if it would help him form some sort of connection.

"I'm well aware of that," he nodded shallowly, "but the penance of my own will be dealt with first and foremost."

She shook her head sadly at him. "Revenge is one thing… but you're placing it above the life of an innocent girl. That's a little selfish, don't you think?" She asked carefully.

Every nerve-end in her body began to prickle when he looked evenly at her, his features molded into the hollow of a mask that he seemed to slip on so easily. "Have I ever claimed to be otherwise..?" His gaze turned pointed in a way that once would have frightened her. "I'm sure you haven't already forgotten that my original plan involved doing the same to you."

She regarded him for a moment, sincerity filling her eyes, doing what she could to fight back her own inhibitions and pierce through the façade. "No, I haven't forgotten… but you changed your mind. You're not selfish by nature… only necessity."

His mouth leisurely eased into a smirk that held a touch of fabricated maliciousness as he mused over her words. "What _ever_ gave you that idea?"

"Stop it." She demanded briskly, her firm tone tugging the corner of his lip back down. "This side of you belongs to Klaus and I don't like it."

"Pardon?" He was struck completely mystified.

"You act this way anytime something comes close to affecting you," she could hear the frustration growing in her own voice. She didn't even realize she cared so much until that moment. "I'm observant too, Elijah and this isn't you at all," she signaled a hand toward his face. "This is exactly what Klaus was hoping for."

His own hand blurred to catch hers in mid-air, holding it steady as he considered her words. The quickness of his movement made her heart jump, so she blamed the surprise for its failure to decline in rate.

She was right of course. He had been so different as a human; caring and tender, both concepts that grew to become foreign with tragedies and time. He could never imagine it perturbing her so deeply and it was much too late to hide from her now.

"My apologies," he offered with deep sincerity while coaxing her hand slowly toward his lips. He placed a soft kiss between the knuckles of her first two fingers, his eyes never leaving hers. "I'll have to remember to work on that."

* * *

They had gone their separate ways for a while, both to change and to be left to their much needed separate thoughts.

After getting dressed and noticing she was running low on clean clothing, Elena attempted to distract herself for a while by bundling her soiled apparel, leaving the bedroom in search of a washer.

The sensation of Elijah's lips on her hand was not one she found easy to forget. She could swear its warmth still lingered there no matter how many times she shook her hand or clenched and unclenched her fingers.

He had shown her so much of himself over the last few days and his reasons were slowly becoming clearer. It almost pained her. While his words seemed to always reach her heart, they found it in an irreparable muddle.

The only thing she found easy to focus on was that this would all be over in a few days – resulting in one of three things…

She would take the elixir regardless, the best case scenario being she walked away from the sacrifice with her humanity in tact – but there was still a chance it wouldn't work. In that case she would not be walking away from it at all. Her third possible outcome was the only one that would be definitive… and the most challenging to accept.

She had seen her fair share of deeds carried out by rogue vampires and the thought of herself even accidentally harming someone or going so far as to strip them of their life was one that made her hold onto the pile of clothes a little tighter. Though she'd also witnessed different forms of control in both Salvatore brothers, they still held their faults; Damon abusing his abilities by making his food sources overtly willing and Stefan refusing to practice moderation, instead using animal blood to hold himself over until the unavoidable binge that followed.

One slip-up on her part and she would be done for.

Elijah was the only thing that gave her any hope on the matter. While she had to admit she didn't know much about his…eating habits? – she did know he claimed control of his instincts in the presence of human blood and it was the first time she'd seen such a thing. It made her wonder just how long it took him to master it. Perseverance was one thing but vampires had a completely different outlook on time and he had failed to mention the length it had required.

She found herself absently going through the motions of starting the washing machine before she realized what she was doing.

If she did choose to become immortal, nothing would ever go back to normal. She could never return to her home in fear of Jenna discovering the truth – or worse, the possibility of losing control near her family. Jeremy already held a developed hatred of vampires due to the constant violence that seemed to follow them… He'd never be able to look at her the same way again.

Stefan – and even more so, Damon would most likely be more than eager to assist her but everything about the concept screamed trouble. She had already come between them enough and with their different viewpoints on how to properly embrace vampirism, nothing good would result from such a venture. As much as it hurt her, she would have to continue to avoid them no matter the result of the ritual. In time, their wounds would heal, just as they were beginning to over Katherine before she joined in the mess. She would be left with the guilt and the _'what ifs'_ forever, but it was a burden she would gladly claim if it meant they didn't have to.

She would not further impair the semi-normal lives her friends were just beginning to get back and that left only one person… but she was sure she was nowhere near the top of his priorities list.

He didn't want her to die, but what exactly did that mean? He made it clear that he admired her – and in a way she guessed she kind of admired him too. His love for his family was obvious, though his circumstances forced him to show it in the obscurest of ways and he, like herself, would undoubtedly do anything for them. Sure, he had his faults, but the fact that he still held morality and honor in any form after a loss as great as his own was something to be respected… and the more she thought about it, the more she found that she did.

* * *

Elijah couldn't help but feel somewhat ashamed after Elena's voiced dejection. He had developed the mask of passivity he wore so well over such a long period of time that it often made its presence unnoticed. He was most certainly a product of Klaus' actions… but who wouldn't fall victim to such a calamity? The idea of that fact concerning Elena was an enlightening one. While the niggling feeling of being undeserving seemed to always be present in her displays of kindness, he couldn't deny that they awakened something in him.

After preparing himself for the day, he made his way downstairs, stopping briefly by the wine cellar, then grabbing a blanket from the den before entering the kitchen. The sound of the washer spinning gave away Elena's location in the next room.

When he told her he would work on it, he'd meant it… though the hardest part of it all seemed to be determining what exactly it was about this girl that made him want to change in the first place. It was growing clearer to him that she was constantly molding and remolding on his behalf; her fear giving over to… friendship? – if nothing less, a determined ally – and that itself was something he'd never expected to come from their situation. Perhaps he felt the need to return the favor.

He would be whatever she needed him to be… just in case it was his only chance.

* * *

Elena stopped in the door frame where the washroom met the kitchen when she spotted Elijah reaching to pull two wine glasses from the cabinet.

"Are you hungry?" His voice was muffled some as he spoke into the shelves but she'd heard him just fine. It was the straightforward question that caused her to hesitate. Her stomach must have rumbled at the thought of food because once he closed the cabinet door he glanced at her with a look of consummation.

"Um… yes, I guess I am." She confessed with a nod, moving to join him in the kitchen.

He noticed her curiously eyeing the folded blanket and bottle of wine that now rested on the island.

"I thought we could have lunch outside today. The weather permits and being cooped up in this house for so long isn't doing either of us any good." He looked to her then, enjoying the lightness of surprised excitement in her eyes.

"We?" She paused for a moment to glance beside her at the fridge, remembering its common contents. "I pictured you being more of a calamari and crème brulee kind of guy…"

He chuckled, brushing past her to open the refrigerator door. "While I must admit I don't eat often, not all of my tastes are expensive, Elena," his brow lowered when he noticed the groceries were left practically untouched. "But apparently yours are…"

She denied his inflection with the gentle shake of her head. "No, the food choice is fine, I just don't think about it very much lately."

He nodded in understanding, a looked of concern crossing his features for the briefest of moments before he leaned forward to distract himself with the groceries. "Do you have a preference then?"

"Hmm," she stepped closer to peak over his shoulder. "A cold cut sandwich sounds good."

He grabbed the meats and cheese that had been left opened from her previous, however scant, fridge raids, noticing their missing contents. "You favor them?" He found himself genuinely curious over such a small detail.

"Yes… because they're familiar," she nodded, her eyes momentarily averting to the floor. "My mother used to pack Jeremy and I a sandwich for lunch every day. They'd always be different somehow – it was her own personal touch – and it was kind of a surprise to open our lunchboxes and see what kind we'd find…It sounds silly I know, but I have a habit of trying to make them just like she used to so I can hold on to the memory."

Elijah spread the various ingredients across the counter. "That's not silly at all," a corner of his lip turned up in a sad smile over his shoulder as he stepped aside to make room for her next to him. "Show me?"

* * *

The sandwiches were made and the blanket was spread across the green grass at the edge of the lake. The sun was high in the clear afternoon sky and it felt just as good to her as it always did after being away from it for too long.

The air was light and the world was very much alive around them. The birds voiced their contentment in a soft song and the breeze carried it to their ears in a soothing way that only nature could provide.

Elijah uncorked the bottle of wine with practiced ease, tipping her glass between his fingers to fill it and handing it to her before doing the same to his own. Just as he placed the bottle back on his opposite side, she caught sight of the dust-rimmed number stamped into the base of its neck. _1809_.

She lifted her glass, swirling the aged, crimson liquid in a way that caught the sunlight, glinting a faint hue of red on the fabric around her. She didn't even have to taste it to guess its quality. She brought the rim of the glass to her lips to take a sip and it was like nothing she'd ever tasted before. The wine was smooth and sweet on her tongue with the perfect bite of alcohol. It was exquisite.

"What do you think?" He asked, his eyes simultaneously attempting to gauge her reaction.

"It's very good." She answered with approval, setting the glass down on the blanket at her side. "Your taste in wine must fall in the 'expensive' category... It definitely undermines my sandwiches," she teased, picking hers up from its plate to eagerly bite into it. The serenity of her surroundings seemed to ease the stress she so commonly faced and hunger had made itself known.

Elijah reached for his own sandwich, and she watched him in a state of complete wonder as he bit into it with matching enthusiasm. She knew she was staring but it was hard not to. He sat next to her, an original vampire, relaxed on the blanketed ground, the front button of his suit jacket leisurely undone, eating a sandwich. "I beg to differ."

She smiled at him then, doing what she could to hold in a giggle at an irony that once would have made her cringe.

His brow lifted at her. "Am I amusing you?" He asked between bites, with the hint of lighthearted disdain that he seemed to fall back on so well. If his suspicions were correct and he was in fact the reason behind the smile that touched her lips, he couldn't find it in himself to mind.

"You're kind of infatuating," she mused, casually taking another bite of her sandwich before she continued. "One minute you're 'let's get down to business' Elijah and the next your sitting by the lake with me, chatting over lunch."

He kept his tone level, doing what he could to hide the spark of incredulity her admittance of fascination had ignited. She had no idea. "After the events you've had to face, a few proper distractions are the least I can provide… You are supposedly on vacation after all."

His words broke her reverie, pulling a _'yeah, right'_ snort from her lips and he couldn't help but grin back at her with a pinch of self-satisfaction.

After a moment, her features leveled as a new string of thoughts entered her mind. "I feel the need to thank you for all this… not just this in particular," she ran her eyes across their lovely makeshift picnic, "but everything."

Her elbows fell to rest just above her knees as she paused from eating for a while to look out over the water. Her eyes slid closed as if something too hard to bear lied just beneath them and he found himself having to hold back from inquiring the reason.

"If Klaus is as hell-bent as you say he is," she finally began softly, "he would have found me sooner or later anyway…" Her eyes reopened and looked back into his as if he were something much different than her captor and if his heart remained in working order he was sure that look alone would have torn it down the middle. "If you hadn't taken me, things could have turned out so much worse."

Of course she would see it that way. She had given him the benefit of the doubt from the beginning, trusting him in such a wholesome approach that he found he still had a difficult time returning.

"You will never have the need to thank me," he reprimanded solemnly, blinking his eyes away from hers, he had to, focusing on a spot at the shoreline. "I know what I am in all of this, and I'm afraid your perception is flawed."

"I think you've got it backwards," she soothed, measuring his distant gaze as she waited patiently for him to finally turn it back over to her. "My perception serves me just fine. _You_ judge yourself too harshly."

"And you don't judge at all," he returned, not harshly, but in a manner that voiced cautious acceptance.

"No I don't," she agreed with the declining shake of her head, "because I know the path that has led you to this… but what do you plan on doing once it's all over?" A fierce curiosity struck her then, apparent in the way her entire body turned toward him. "You've focused so much time and energy on defeating Klaus… When it finally happens…then what?"

He looked into her eyes then, a softness overtaking his own, as if the answer to her question was clearly visible within them. "That depends entirely on the outcome."

* * *

The conversation lightened shortly after, lasting until the sun fell deep in the west. Getting lost in their talks was something the pair of them found easy to do and it was as good a distraction as any.

He had excused himself for a moment, stepping inside to fetch a book that had peaked Elena's interest when it entered the conversation. The concept of vampires, werewolves, witches and even hybrids existing was something she had accepted with little trouble, but the claim of him possessing the first edition of _Wuthering Heights_ was something she had to see to believe.

She looked around her as twilight settled in over the landscape, leaving the mountains on the horizon barely visible. Without Elijah there to hold her interest, the peacefulness began to fade along with the sunlight and she couldn't help but dart her eyes along the tree line every so often as the shadows set in, perfectly mimicking the horrid sight she'd seen so many times before.

The hairs at the back of her neck rose with the unshakable feeling that she was being watched. She had blamed it on Elijah's attentive eyes during their conversation, but the feeling lingered even in his absence.

Just as she was about to stand up to follow Elijah inside, she spotted why.

She froze where she sat, watching wide eyed as a foreign shape disturbed the bushes at the edge of the woods. Her dreams flooded her mind and a scream rose in the back of her throat that fear itself wouldn't allow her to force out. "_Elijah,_" was all she could manage in a voiceless breath that she prayed he would hear, while hoping the unknown deity would not.

When a tall figure emerged from the tree line and stepped in her direction, her heart drummed uncontrollably in her chest and she instinctively dug her shoes into the dirt to push herself backwards. "Elijah!" It was panicked this time and her voice nearly broke over the cry for help.

She watched as he almost instantly emerged from the doorway, his features hardened with angst as he eyed the figure of a man a split second before a book dropped from his hand and he sped toward her.

Faster than she was able to process, Elijah fell to the ground, clutching his head from some invisible source of pain. He writhed just off to her side in such an agonizing display of torture that she had a hard time watching it unfold.

She reached a hand in his direction as she looked back to the approaching shadow, "Stop…Please!"

Just as the desperate plead passed her lips, a pressure was placed against her forehead and the world around her faded to an all-consuming black.

* * *

******More delicious angst to come...**

******Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews! I also want to thank all my silent readers and guests. You guys are awesome!**

**Hope you enjoyed!**


	17. Heroes And Heroines

_I'll seek you out, flay you alive_  
_one more word and you won't survive_  
_and I'm not scared of your stolen power_  
_see right through you any hour_

_~  
_**_Eyes On Fire - Blue Foundation_**

* * *

Elijah regained consciousness gradually, his eyes snapping open to cut through the darkness of the newly fallen night. He blinked once at stars above, giving away that he laid on his back, spread across the ground. The view of the nearly full moon, low in the dark sky, informed him that he had not been out for long while effectively reminding him that there was no time to spare.

In one swift motion, he was on his feet, his head still swimming slightly from the quickness of the motion as the blood vessels in his brain continued to reattach themselves at a steadily increasing pace. He had never felt a pain so unrelenting yet, with the rate of his vampiric restoration, the fact that he had been bested was leaving a much more lasting impression.

A part of him grew furious at the same time a sense of possessiveness weaved in the mix. It only surfaced in the flare of his nostrils. Someone had taken what was his. The key to a resolution. Elena… Rational judgment would have allowed him to determine just how far from the truth a few of his thoughts were, but all he could see was red.

There was another feeling deep beneath the boil of anger; something that squeezed a knot tight within his gut as he brought a controlled hand up to button his coat over it. The panicked way she'd called his name for help was fresh in his thoughts, replaying over and over in a way that plagued him, and the fact that he had failed was reason enough for his teeth to grind together as he fought back the snarl that rolled in his chest. The fact that he had failed _her _was something else entirely…

What he had not failed to do was catch a glimpse of her abductor just before he'd been struck blind with pain… a glimpse that would seal the intruder's fate if he could get to him first.

* * *

The darkness just wouldn't seem to lift.

While Elena felt a sense of consciousness slowly making its return, her body remained limp and unresponsive to her mind's coaxing as whatever spell she'd been put under continued to linger over her. She could feel the cool of leather pressed against her cheek and neck, doing nothing to sooth the pain that pulsed through her head in a steady rhythm.

The images of her shadowed pursuer flashed behind her closed eyes much more clearly now that they were memories instead of dreams. The forest… the darkness… It had all happened so fast.

The one thing she had time to focus on before it was over was the way Elijah's eyes found hers as he'd tried to close the space between them. She caught a look in their depth that had become easy enough to identify, though she had been taught to read it from a cautious pair of bright, blues – vulnerability.

Both were men she had once believed to be incapable of such a display.

Her sense of hearing crept back next as the muffled sound of voices coming from somewhere close by distracted her from the consoling thought. A chill of fear dragged down her spine, towing a sense of hopelessness over her with it. Whoever had taken her was powerful enough to bring an original vampire to the ground with the raise of a hand… and they were near her. This would be the second time she'd been ripped from the familiar by an ominous, unknown being but the dreadfulness of the situation was just as potent.

"...Are you're sure this was the best approach?" A younger male's voice she didn't recognize spoke the question and she strained to hear the conversation over the faint rumble of an engine.

"No, but I did what any father would do, Luka…" She recognized this voice instantly and if her body was willing to respond, her eyes would have shot open wide with the surprising amount of disbelief she felt. As the phone conversation between Elijah and Jonas instantly came back to her, it all fell into place in a staggering epiphany. Elijah was not the only one whose patience had been faltering. "We only have once chance to get her back and it's in our best interest to be on bad terms with the lesser of two evils."

She mentally gasped at just how wrong he was.

* * *

Elijah took off toward the trees after only having to think it over for a fraction of a second. He knew where they would be heading, he was frustratingly aware of the motive, and he continued to play out in his mind the repercussions the traitor would face as he ungracefully sliced through the underbrush, leaving a few downed trees in his wake.

He'd only placed a thin strip of trust in Jonas, working civilly with him over the years toward a debatably common goal, but the man had just proven himself to be as undependable as any other.

There was a time long past when Jonas' cause would have easily altered his course of action but the warlock had only irked him from the start. Servants of nature were nearly as expendable to him as humans after coming across so many in his lifetime, but an alliance with this one in particular appeared promising due to the fact that one would benefit just as much as the other. Over time, he'd come very close to trusting the man, sharing a few unnecessary talks amidst business, but he hadn't fully for this exact reason.

It seemed that the desperate man had forgotten his place and urgently needed to be reminded. The woods, the dark – they were as easy to navigate as his own dwelling. Having to track the scent that never ceased to remind him he'd been made of fool of proved more challenging.

* * *

"I wish we didn't have to deal with them at all." Elena heard the younger voice reply miserably as the feeling began to increase in her fingers. They worked themselves into clenched fists as returning sensation continued to inch up her arms and legs.

"This will all be over soon, son… then we can focus on what really matters," the older man's deep voice attempted to soothe.

If she wasn't in the process of being kidnapped, the overheard conversation may have caused her to feel sorry for them.

Instead, Elena's mind sprung to action as she allowed herself to peak through the slit of one eye, finding that she was spread across the backseat of a car. The rear of the driver seat was so close to her that she could smell the leather and it effectively hid her face from view of the other occupants. With that knowledge, she allowed both eyes to open; taking in everything she could of her surroundings without drawing attention to herself.

Judging from the way the trees blurred past the window, they were driving very fast – most likely on an interstate – en route to Mystic Falls. Jonas seemed to have only one thing on his agenda when he'd contacted Elijah and she was sure she was going to play a role in it… When did she ever not?

It was still dark outside so she couldn't have been out for long, but the realization immediately led her to wonder about Elijah's current state. Whatever the warlock had done to cause him so much pain was as alarming as it was hard for her to watch. The last few days she'd shared with him had been enjoyable until that point. The image of him crumbling to the dirt replayed in her mind and the vivid memory deeply troubled her. She could only hope he hadn't been injured beyond repair.

With Elijah, she had hope. There was the elixir… Option two… A promise of Klaus' existence being wiped from the earth – a sense of protection in desperate times.

When it came to Jonas, there were only questions.

She inched to sit up slowly, the movement reinforcing the migraine that pulsed behind her eyes. A whimper of discomfort slipped from her lips as she pushed her palm against her temple.

"What did you do to me?" She asked between throbs, looking up just as two sets of eyes snapped in her direction. The driver, who could only be Jonas, met her gaze in the rearview mirror while the young man she'd heard him refer to as Luka stared at her for a moment over the shoulder of the passenger seat before looking toward his father. He couldn't have been much younger than herself.

"A very mild form of what you saw Elijah go through," Jonas replied flatly, his eyes flicking from the mirror to the road ahead, "and judging by your lack of surprise I can only assume you already know why."

What he didn't know what that she had already had time for the surprise to pass. She was left questioning the man's sanity.

"Elijah told me you've been trying to save your daughter from Klaus," she began, forming an attempt to reason with him as she adjusted herself in the seat, "but this is the wrong way, Jonas. He was going to help you and crossing him like this will get us all killed…" Whether by Klaus or Elijah himself was a graying area. She did everything to fight back the desperation that threatened to tighten her throat. "We can still turn around and fix this…"

He huffed at the windshield before he fired back at her. "You honestly believe Elijah gave a damn about Greta?" He eyed her in the rearview again as if beckoning her to answer. The fact that she couldn't agree with him silenced her. "The only way we are ever going to get her back is if we strike a deal with Klaus himself… You make that possible."

"Who's to say he won't kill you on the spot?" She retorted, digging to reach a sense of self-preservation in the distressed man. She couldn't deny that his reasons were honorable but they were growing increasingly irrational. "If Klaus is as remorseless as Elijah says he is, he'll take me from your cold, dead hands without giving any of you the time of day… Elijah is a reasonable man... "

She could have sworn she saw a look of indecision pass his over his eyes then, giving away the fact that he briefly considered her words. "We can take care of ourselves – as you've seen," a warning glance was shot back at her before his attention was returned to the road. "The fact that you speak so highly of Elijah proves a portion of my theory correct… the phone call was my first clue."

"What are you talking about?" Her furrowed brow and the hardening of her voice didn't fail to give away her bewilderment at the sudden change of topic.

"I'm doing you a favor," the man's baritone voice rang with believed truth. "It took years for Elijah to finally inform me of all the finer details, but I know of Petrova doppelgängers and the roles they've played in both Elijah's and Klaus' lives. Elijah's hesitation with Katherine led the first attempt to fail...that won't be happening again." He shook his head in promise. "Your sacrifice will free my daughter from her obligation to Klaus and with it being the only way to weaken him enough to kill him, I'm going to see to it that it happens."

The man's audacity lit a spark of anger in her though she projected it with a sick laugh. Something told her that he didn't know the whole story and she wasn't about to fill him in. "I'll be the first to tell you that you don't know Elijah very well, and you betraying him is exactly why he is the way he is." She crossed her arms under her chest as fear gave under the weight of a forming need to defend. "You should know as well as I do that Elijah is as set on killing Klaus as you are on saving your daughter - if not more."

"The fact that _you_ know that much already is exactly my issue," he informed matter-of-factly without sparing her a glance. "If you want something done right, you truly have to do it yourself."

The tone of finality in the man's voice instantly brought her to the edge of desperation once again. Nothing she said was going to sway him from the path he believed so firmly to be right. "Please don't do this…"

"It's already done," the man's son interjected for the first time. His tone rendered his words an apology in disguise as his eyes left the passenger window to find hers with a troubled expression. "I'm sorry Elena, but we've got to get her back."

* * *

An hour of silence followed as Elena rested her head against the back of the seat. The sky lit a fraction with the approaching dawn and she grew a little more anxious with every passing mile.

She had to admit to herself that she could easily see why they were doing this to her, but she was at a loss for how to explain to them that they were going about it the complete wrong way. Attempting to make a deal of any sort with Klaus was something she knew would not work in their favor and the thought of being left defenseless with the ruthless hybrid disturbed her in a way that made her stomach clench.

Jonas didn't trust Elijah just as much as Elijah didn't trust him and the entire ordeal had been a meltdown waiting to happen. If Elijah would have told him more about his feelings toward Klaus, or the fact that he himself had handed Katherine over, she was sure she wouldn't be in this position but Jonas' words confirmed that Elijah had opened up to her much further than he had with others. With the man's betrayal, it was easy for her to see why.

Humans were rash, they acted on impulse and emotion, and though Elijah must have seen something past that in her, she was human nonetheless and she would do all she could to stay that way.

Without a second thought, one of her hands wrapped around the door handle while the other simultaneously pulled up the lock. With the fresh air that whipped though the crack in the door came the rush of adrenaline that she would desperately need to make it through this.

A hand reached back between the seats in a failed attempt to contain her just as her left side met the unyielding pavement. The speed of the impact caused her body to roll multiple times, stopping finally at some point in the wet grass of the ditch. She could hear the sound of tires screeching a short ways up the road from her, and the sound alone gave her enough will to struggle to her feet. She was clearly damaged, a mixture of mud and blood coating most of her clothing and exposed skin, but she would have to ignore the pain and run.

The pressure on her lower body was agonizing as she limped her way towards the thick woods that lined the highway, fighting to stay at a somewhat steady pace. She stumbled over the thick underbrush a couple times, falling to her knees and having to fight to rise back onto her feet. On her third meeting with the ground, her arms failed to support her torso, causing the rusted taste of blood to seep into her mouth. Her heart pounded in her chest against the dirt, willing her to keep it beating. With all her strength, she found her footing, using various trees for support as she made her way deeper into the forest.

Her bruised muscles and aching joints begged her to stop as seconds of running drew into minutes. When her legs could no longer carry her battered form, she collapsed on her backside onto the soil, dragging herself to rest against the base of a thick oak tree. She lifted her knees to her chest, forcing herself to take up the least amount of space she could as if it would help her to disappear completely from view.

As the foliage stilled around her, she froze completely before the trembles began, brought on by the increasing sound of leaves crunching under steady paces somewhere to her right. It wouldn't be long until they made it to her... She had not ran fast enough.

The need to flee was screaming in her head but her body refused to react to it, instead doing all in its power to stay as silent as possible in the impending doom. A violently shaking hand rose to cover her mouth just as the cause of the sound rounded the tree and made himself know.

Luka peered down at her with a hardened gaze that soon faltered when he took in the extent of her wounded condition. With a quiet exhale, he crouched down to her level.

"Elena, you need to run," he whispered hurriedly. Her eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and fear as his hand quickly moved to hover above her legs, traveling up over her torso to rest on the tree just above her shoulder. "That will dull the pain but not for very long."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing from the boy and her shocked expression made it clear. The pain in her limbs faded to an ache, proving him honest and she could only manage to gape at him.

He took a long look into the woods over his shoulder. "Please forgive my father..." The young man turned back to face her with the heavy shadow of remorse on his features. "I don't want anyone else to get hurt because of all this. He wants to protect our family but there has to be another way," he held a hand out to help her to her feet. She hesitated to accept but the assistance proved to be needed.

"You are absolutely right," offered a smooth voice that startled them both… a voice that she would know anywhere.

The overpowering sense of relief that came with it was short lived.

Before she could turn her head to see where the sound originated from, her back was pressed to the tree trunk once again and Elijah stood angled just in front of her with a hand around the boy's throat. Luka's own hands made their way up to his in an attempt to remove it but it appeared he was able to breathe under Elijah's loose grip. The sight was still a horrible one to her eyes.

"Your father. Call him." There was a menace in Elijah's tone that she'd heard only once before, though at the time it was him she was running from. It made her remember why.

Luka raised a hand as if to cast a spell but Elijah quickly apprehended it, twisting it behind the boy's back in a way that pulled a hiss of pain from him.

"Don't…" Elena didn't know what else to say but this boy had just tried to help her. She felt she owed him something – anything. Elijah only shook his head twice, slowly, refusing to look at her. "Elijah," she coaxed in a lucid whisper. If she could only access the man she'd grown to know and enjoy over the last few weeks, it could mean saving lives.

"Silence," his tone softened over the word though it failed to make it any less intimidating. Everything else about him remained ice cold and unrelenting. "Luka – if you'd be so kind." Elijah eyed the young warlock in a way that would send most running but the boy held it squarely.

"I'm sorry, Elijah," Luka offered with both acceptance and conviction though his life rested in someone else's ruthless hands. The display of such sincerity nearly brought a tear to Elena's eye as she watched on, feeling utterly useless. "But I can't call my father over to meet his death."

"I can assure you it would be much easier if you did," Elijah nearly hissed. "The longer you drag this out, the longer I will make it."

The vampire before her was nearly unrecognizable at this point. She feared him with every fiber of her being – a sickening feeling after everything they'd been through – and it was as if she was back at square one all over again. He had failed to look over at her since his arrival… maybe that was key – maybe he'd remember who he truly was.

The idea was a beat too late.

"Dad! I found her!" Luka's voice pierced through the silence around them, sending a flutter of birds to the morning sky. His gaze did the opposite, dropping to the forest floor in a hopeless display of defeat.

"Luka – where are you?!" Jonas returned from somewhere in the distance.

"I'm over here!" It was a broken shout sent to the dirt.

The sound of running paces came from somewhere behind her though she dared not move from the tree to watch him approach. They slowed as Jonas must have caught sight of the scene taking place just feet in front of her.

"Care to explain yourself?" Elijah asked in a steely, calm voice that proved more menacing than any of its harsher counterparts. He turned to hold Luka in front of him in a clear show of control over the situation.

"It's me you want. Not him." Jonas spoke from somewhere behind her, somehow able to hold his tone steady. It was apparent to her that an incredible amount of courage ran in their family. She could only pray it would not be their downfall.

"While that's true, Luka here is preventing me from getting my brain fried again." The condescending statement tainted the brief silence as his dark eyes glowered down at the boy before smugly honing in on the elder warlock. "I would suggest you not try anything rash but my warnings seem to rest on closed ears."

She could here Jonas take a couple steps closer, obviously stirred by his words. Elijah too stepped forward a few paces, his hold on Luka never wavering as they made their way to stop just off to her left. It made it clear she was meant to stay hidden from view.

"You've known where I stood from the beginning Elijah but I could never be too sure about you." The conviction in his voice matched his son's and she winced when Elijah shifted Luka's arm into a more contorted position behind him.

"You have the audacity to question _my_ stance?" The last three words of the inquiry were forced through gritted teeth as Elijah's calm hindered with the man's admission.

"Only because I could sense your hesitation," urgency made itself known in Jonas' voice when his son continued to wince at Elijah's tightening hold.

"_Please stop_." It was a thought voicelessly whispered into the air before she could help it as she caught sight of Luka's pained face in the corner of her vision. He didn't deserve this at all.

Surprising enough to her, Elijah's hold on his arm slackened though he didn't acknowledge her request in any other way. She could only mentally sigh with relief over the fact that he was still reachable on some level. Elijah was in there somewhere.

"Hesitation?" The confession had obviously struck his interest.

"The information you've shared with her – the lengths you had us going to at her request… what was I supposed to think Elijah?" The man paused for a moment, leaving the silence thick with tension. "The moment I heard her voice come from your cell phone, I knew she'd gotten to you."

She watched as Elijah's jaw clenched and unclenched…one…two…three times. "So – let me see if I understand correctly…" his head inclined as he flashed the tree tops an incredulous smirk. "You believe that I have some form of feelings for the doppelgänger I've spent five hundred years tracking down… preventing me from carrying out a feat I've carefully crafted for nearly twice as long...?" He shook his head at the sky, making a show of his exasperation. "What do you take me for, Jonas?"

Elena bit her lip at the unexpected sting his words caused.

"I don't know what to take you for anymore, Elijah… especially with your hand around my son's throat," the warlock regarded him almost solemnly, "and that leaves me no choice..."

Before Elena knew what was happening, she couldn't breathe. She clawed at her throat as some sort of invisible form pushed down on it with bruising force. The same pressure was used to pull her away from the tree, spinning her body around as if she were nothing more than a marionette to fall to her knees at Luka's side.

The pressure weakened enough for her to gasp greedily for air when she spotted Jonas a good twenty yards away from them. He stood casually, one hand just barely turned upwards at his side in the shape Elena felt clasped around her neck. He refused to meet her eyes, instead continuing to size up the original vampire just behind her.

She was unable to see Elijah from her position, though she swore she could _feel_ his seething, heavy in the air around them, protruding from just beneath the passivity she could guess still claimed his features. She wanted to speak up; wanted to say something to stop all of it, but both words and the air to speak them were in short supply.

"You harm him, her neck snaps, and neither of us gets what we're after," Jonas supplied after a moment. Her heart raced just a little faster in her chest at the pointed threat.

There was a significant stretch of silence that almost had Elena attempting to turn around to see the expression Elijah wore. "And if I don't believe you will kill the only means to save your daughter…?" The original challenged flatly, though due to her proximity she hadn't failed to catch the smallest hesitation in his tone. She still couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Let us go and she lives," the warlock deflected, a sense of anxious insistence raising his deep voice slightly.

"There will be no working with you after this," Elijah returned resolutely and Elena could feel his eyes on her back as another pregnant pause resounded. "Release my doppelgänger and your son goes free." Jonas' brow lifted slightly as if waiting for more and Elijah indulged him. "While you've proven yourself undeserving, you have my word."

"Release him first," Jonas motioned, using his unoccupied hand to gesture toward Luka.

Elijah huffed under his breath at the man's nerve but proceeded to let his hand fall from the boy's neck. "Thank you, Luka. You've been most helpful," he offered lowly with the subtle squint of calculating eyes.

Before Elena had the chance to feel anything close to relief, Elijah's form had all but disappeared, leaving only the faintest draft of air to announce his departure. She fell forward onto her hands as the pressure was instantly relieved from her throat and her head shot up to determine why.

Elijah had the elder warlock's front pressed harshly against a tree, one of his hands holding the pair of his behind his back while the other placed a dent in the mans' left shoulder blade.

_"Elijah!"_ / "_Dad!"_

Elena and Luka looked to each other then, an understanding instantly formed by their shared expression. No one else needed to be hurt. The poor boy was already missing a sister. "Stay here," she whispered in gentle warning after he'd hurriedly helped her to her feet.

As she took her first few paces in their direction, her instincts told her just how foolish her actions could prove to be. The pain resulting from her movements allowed her to guess that Luka's spell wasn't going to last much longer so she would have to do everything she could to return his favor before she was left unable to. Elijah was angry at this man for betraying him in a way that would have caused nearly a millennium's worth of time to be wasted. He had chosen his words sparingly, offering Luka a pass but never extending it to Jonas. He was after blood.

"Elijah, listen to me," she pleaded, halving the distance between them. She limped slightly as the ache returned to her legs and she found herself having to concentrate on each step. "I'm here now… you found me. We can carry out the plan like we were supposed to but we still need him Elijah…" her attempt to reason with him was shaken with slight gasps of discomfort though she fought to keep her tone soothing. "…Look at me."

Her request was ignored as Elijah's palm lifted, leaving only his fingertips indenting into the man's back. "He's a traitor Elena," the original countered severely. "He would have handed you over for his own personal gain had I not found you." This man had it coming. He had pushed him one too many times, stolen Elena from his grasp to make his own deal with Klaus, no doubt - then had the gall to claim that _he_ would be the one to slip up.

She stumbled onto one knee a few paces from them, the motion pulling Elijah's gaze down to meet hers for the first time since his arrival. The scent of her blood was what led him to discover her here but the severity of her wounds was far beyond what he'd imagined. Blood ran from her nose and other various gashes, caking on her saturated clothing. The fact that she fought to rise back up onto her two feet was nothing short of astonishing to him.

"He is a father," she whispered. "They were only doing what they thought was right – what we would have done if it was our family in danger…"

When his eyes darkened as they turned back onto Jonas, she feared her attempts to lull him were unsuccessful.

"He didn't hurt me." It passed her lips in a rush of desperation though she didn't know what exactly brought it about or if it was even the right thing to say.

He snapped his head back toward her then, his eyes running over her wounds once more before they rose to meet hers and softened. She saw her Elijah in them again for the briefest of moments and she knew she'd found the right words. "They didn't hurt me Elijah," she promised quietly with the shake of her head as she reached out to coax his hand away from the man's shoulder. His fingers were tense under her touch. "I did this to myself trying to escape. Luka helped with the pain..."

His entire body stiffened further. The thought of allowing her to take his hand away should have created a feeling of weakness in him, he knew it, but the strength of this fragile, human girl floored him once again. She was asking him to take pity on her captor... and he owed her the returned favor. He almost regretted it.

His demeanor slackened fractionally with a forced exhale that nearly came out as a grunt before he finally obliged, his features falling completely blank. She met his eyes then with a soft light of pride in her own that belong entirely to him. Whether he was aware of it or not, Jonas would be indebted to this girl for the rest of his life.

After a moment, she turned to find Luka, the look of relief plastered on his features, though her words were meant for both him and his father. "We still need your help," she spoke clearly, feeling much more capable with Elijah's sturdy hand in her own. "In return for aiding your family all I ask is that you continue protecting mine." She knew that she had just saved his father's life but there was no need for glory, only hope of the favor being returned.

"We will," Luka assured her without hesitation before looking first toward Elijah, then his father.

Elijah released Jonas entirely then as the girl he could not remove his eyes from led him a few steps away, their position between the pair of warlocks nearly forming a triangle. "We all are after the same thing, whether we realize it or not," she mused aloud to the lot, pausing for a moment before turning her attention to Luka once more. "Thank you for your help," she offered sincerely to him, both for the pain control and his continued support. If things were different, she could see him being a good friend.

She then looked in the opposite direction, finding Jonas' empty expression. "If we do this together, you will get her back." It was a promise to both of them.

With that, she looked up to Elijah offering him a tight grin of reassurance, though she was sure she looked as awful as she felt.

"Let's go," he urged in a murmur only to her, concerned by her current state even with her attempt to hide the pain. He wrapped an arm behind her back to help support her staggering frame without giving a second thought to the bitter judgement he was sure could be found in at least one pair of eyes behind them.

* * *

**A little proud of myself for getting this chapter posted this weekend!**

**I really wish TVD would have experimented a bit more with the Elijah/Jonas/Luka alliance but I guess that's what fanfic is for. ;)**

**(Had some troubles with FF when trying to post this chapter. Sorry if it caused any issues!)**

**Hope you enjoyed! **


	18. False Pretenses

_When your dreams all fail_  
_and the ones we hail_  
_are the worst of all_  
_and the blood's run stale_

_I want to hide the truth_  
_ I want to shelter you_  
_but with the beast inside_  
_there's nowhere we can hide_

_~  
_**_Demons - Imagine Dragons_**

* * *

They walked in silence for a while as Elena tried to focus on anything but her aching body under Elijah's secure guidance. Both her rush of adrenaline and Luka's spell were wearing off fast and surging pain was beginning to take their place. Her limp grew worse with each slow step until it nearly became unbearable to even drag her feet.

Elijah noticed her growing discomfort and led her to a nearby toppled tree to rest.

She winced at the shooting pain as her legs bent into a sitting position. Once she was settled, Elijah turned away from her to face the trees.

"Are you okay?" It was a murmured question from the injured girl to the immortal who hadn't spoken since they'd left the almost fatal scene. He didn't fail to miss its causticness though he was sure it was an honest question.

"No – I'm not," he admitted, unmoving, "but _my_ current state holds little importance right now." He was still seething; a burning thing that was kept contained only by concern for her wellbeing, though exactly who his anger was directed toward was indiscernible. He'd let a loose end live in a moment of indecision – for her. "Can you continue to walk?"

"It is important," she ignored his question, knowing it was meant to change the subject. He was upset and she could imagine why. His disposition refused to lighten in the slightest. "He won't cause any more trouble…"

"Will you?" He turned on his heels to face her then, raising a tense eyebrow at her claim. "His traitorous heart was just beneath my fingertips…" He cut himself short. He wanted to accuse her; to blame her, but he had _allowed_ her to inhibit him.

Elena hadn't missed the inflection. "I'm not exactly fond of the fact that he kidnapped me either Elijah… but we need his help."

"_You_ need his help," he corrected flatly, looking over her into the woods. "I've obtained all I need to complete my pursuit."

And he had. He had received the knowledge that Klaus was somewhere in Mystic Falls, he possessed both the necessary tools and the aspiration to pierce his brother's chest cavity, and the final 'ingredient' of the spell that would weaken him enough to effectively do so was once again in his possession. Even with his simmering frustration he knew something about the thought was out of place, though it was truly all he required. Jonas was nothing to him now.

Elena leaned her elbows on her knees to cradle her head in her hands. She couldn't handle too much more of this; nearing a month's worth of constant insecurity, staring death in the face, and fear at every turn. Now she had a disgruntled original to come to terms with.

The motion pulled a whimper from her lips at the same time Elijah caught a sound much softer beneath it. It put his current thwarting on the back-burner as he looked down at her then, unease loosening his stern features.

He crouched down to her level. "Elena," his new closeness and the smoothening of his tone that seemed reserved only for her name drew her gaze up to meet his. "What exactly happened?"

The hint of a smirk pulled at her lips at the inconceivable memory of her own action. She rubbed a dirt-layered hand across her elevated brow as she spoke. "I jumped out of a speeding car…"

He scolded her only with the slight shake of his head. He was growing used to being constantly taken aback by her actions and her sever lack of self-perseveration couldn't be made any clearer if she tried. She was a radiant mess of insufferable courage.

"Can you sit straight?" He asked, adjusting his angle to place a hand just behind her lower back, should she need it for support.

She attempted to uncurl her torso, bringing an arm up to clench around her waist mid-motion. It was too painful to complete.

"I think you may have broken a rib," he spoke softly, noticing the extent of her struggle. The sound of bone scraping against bone was one he was familiar with and he'd caught it again when she stirred. He adjusted to angle himself on the tree beside her, gently maneuvering her arm from her waist as mild eyes found hers in warning. "This may hurt."

Elena tensed as his hand placed pressure first on her side closest to him, finding everything to be in its proper place. He lifted it, reaching across her slightly to do the same to the opposite. When his hand pressed over her left set of ribs, her head inclined and she clenched her teeth to prevent a curse from slipping past.

Both her reaction and the small fissures he could feel with his elevated sense of touch just below her clothing and skin proved his theory correct, though there was hardly any doubt.

After the initial shock, the slight pressure over the area proved to be soothing. Her breathing began to relax to an even pace and, taking notice, he allowed his hand to remain there.

"They are fractured," he muttered in diagnosis.

"They?" Her startled eyes question him.

"At least two," Elijah's gaze rose to meet hers as he pondered a thought. Traveling the distance to the safe-house would take multiple hours and she would be in excruciating pain whether he carried her or not. It was still hard to believe that she had even made it this far. "We aren't going to make it back today." He finally spoke, considering his scant options.

Elijah rose to his feet with his decision made. His hand left her side as he leaned to smooth an arm behind her back and just under the crook of her knees, lifting her slowly into his arms so as not to cause any unnecessary pain. The thought of giving her his blood had not failed to cross his mind, but that was not something he took lightly. If the extent of her injuries didn't go past a few fractured ribs, she would heal with time. He would take a closer inspection once she was somewhere safe.

One of her arms instinctively rose to wrap around his shoulders to hold herself up while the other mimicked Elijah's pressure on her midsection. Even though his embrace was tender, every little shift sent a new wave of pain through her.

She leaned her head on his shoulder when he starting moving, allowing her eyes to fall closed, completely spent from the suffered trauma and lack of sleep. As her mind fought for awareness, she couldn't help but ponder the strange idea of a captor becoming a rescuer and the disconcerting amount of comfort she felt in his strong arms.

* * *

She only half paid attention to the quick compelling of the desk attendant to give them a room key and to forget their passing. It was enough to make it clear that he'd picked the first place they came across.

She had neither suffered the nightmares of sleep nor felt the blankness of unconsciousness, but one moment she was in the woods and the next she was being whisked up multiple flights of stairs.

It wasn't until she felt a cool rag placed against her forehead that she came-to completely.

The sound of the window air conditioner rattled the silence as she took in the room around her.

It wasn't anything special. She found herself on a large bed that took up most of the small space. The rest of the area was bland; tacky, tri-colored curtains drawn closed, leaving the white walls to be lit by a yellowing lamp, anchored on the wall just off to her left.

She noticed Elijah sitting at her side in an uncomfortable looking dinette chair. It was odd to see him in such a place, though the artificial light rested on his troubled features in a way that made the thought quickly slip her mind.

She watched as he studiously dipped a second washcloth in a bowl of water, wringing it out before gently patting at the dried blood beneath her nose. The tenderness of the gesture made her wonder just how long it had taken him to perfect it. He slipped over to indifferent so easily yet seemed to struggle with most else. It led her to question a multitude of things, but the most prominent slipped from her lips before she could catch it.

"What stopped you, Elijah?"

He lifted the cool rag a fraction above her skin as his soft gaze grew guarded before her eyes. He could only manage to look down at her for a moment, searching the stretch of silence for something familiar to grasp. "You pled for his mercy," he allotted sensibly, before continuing his routine over the delicate skin of her lips. He lingered on them as she spoke.

"That didn't stop you with Trevor."

His eyes flicked back up to hers. Of course she'd remember that. Rose had pled just as hard; teary eyed and desperate, for Trevor to be spared, only for it to be rendered ineffective under his fine-tuned fury. He had made it clear to Elena that day that he was not one to be betrayed, as was one of his intentions.

"The warlock's actions are far from excused," he offered her a firm truth. "Their debt to you is yours alone. I refuse to associate myself with such treacherous vermin." If he would have had it his way, Jonas would be incapable of making the same mistake twice.

"They're indebted to me because of you," she reprimanded softly, her eyes searching his, "Jonas is not a bad person, Elijah, just – lost."

She continued to challenge him in a way that both made him momentarily consider her point of view and proved to be maddening all at once. It was almost frustrating that she'd forgiven the man so easily, though of course she would see past the act to the reasons behind it.

"Aren't we all?" He muttered in mock fickleness as he returned to cleaning the blood from her skin. He dabbed at the corner of her lips, just as they curved into a smile.

Elijah's brash humor was something she realized she'd grown fond of.

The content expression she wore contrasted harshly against her battered condition, but he couldn't stop himself. The fact that there was any sign of relief on her features after such a trying morning was something he briefly relished in. He knew he shouldn't. He knew there were much larger issues at hand; issues that would have to be dealt with without emotions muddling the way. But at the moment, all that seemed to matter was the light returning to her eyes.

"It's nice to see you smile," he admitted quietly, pulling away from her to re-wet the reddened cloth. She felt a flutter of butterflies under the soreness at his acknowledgement. "Hopefully it's a sign that you're not broken beyond repair."

She wore a hollow grin when he turned back to her, moving down some to slide the cloth along her chin and neck. "I worried the same about you," she began, inclining her head to grant him easier access. The cool sensation was soothing on her inflamed skin. "I didn't like seeing you get hurt like that."

He had slipped onto her list of people she cared for and being torn away from him without knowing his condition had helped her to realize it. The sense of relief and protection that she'd felt when he'd found her was almost foreign.

Her admittance was a balm to the remainder of his anger. There was no use in attempting to convince her she worried for the wrong one of the pair.

"I am fine," he assured quietly. "I fear you've suffered much worse."

Elijah rose from his seat then, dropping the soiled rag into the bowl on the nightstand before turning toward the door.

Elena tried to sit up in protest. She didn't want to be left alone. Not again.

Just as he reached out for the handle, he spoke up before she was able to. "I'll only be a moment." He sent the promise over his shoulder to her before he stepped out, pulling the door closed securely behind him.

* * *

As soon as it shut she felt it; a dreadful feeling more unsettling than any of her injuries.

His presence was her fortification. Without it, she felt more vulnerable than she ever had before. It was a frightening feeling, lying defenseless in a random hotel room with Klaus and who knows who else out there hunting her. The hybrid obviously had influence over those he chose to keep close to him, leaving desperate bystanders like Jonas to act out in ways they normally wouldn't. She could only imagine how many other unfortunate souls Klaus had working for him.

She tilted her head to look at the now-empty chair. Was she allowed to feel like this toward him? To find comfort and protection in the presence of an original vampire? One that stole her from her life; changed it in a way that would never go back to normal again… though the more she thought about it, the more she realized it needed to be changed.

She wouldn't come between the Salvatores anymore, all the ones she loved could live normal, happy lives, Klaus wouldn't harm her family… the list seemed to go on and on and it was all because of him.

Elijah was still so perplexing to her. It was strange how he could be so straightforward while continuing to withhold so much. It felt like the more he was around her, the less about him she knew… and she found herself wanting to know everything right from the beginning.

He was so powerful, yet could be so tender. She did know he would swear up and down that there wasn't a shred of humanity left in him but she had learned to see it as clear as day. The way he'd taken it upon himself to divert her from her troubles; their dance, their shared dream, the way he tended to her as if she were something he felt compelled to fix. Those moments stood out much more than the times he'd shown his colder side. Not once had he purposefully harmed her – even when she was nothing more than a captive to him.

What was she now?

The sound of the door handle being pulled snapped her from her silent pondering. She breathed a sigh of relief when Elijah re-entered the room, a freezer bag half-filled with ice in his hand. He made his way to the bathroom to grab a small, white towel before passing up the chair to sit carefully on the bed beside her.

Her slightly raised heartbeat gave away the fact that she'd been startled. "The ice will dull the pain," he offered apologetically while wrapping the towel around the bag.

He turned his position on the bed to face her, reaching a steady hand to rest at the hem of her tattered shirt. He met her eyes for a moment to be sure she understood his intentions. She watched on anxiously as he slowly slid her top up, just enough to reveal her midsection. The sight was grotesque to her; olive skin around her navel fading into a deep lavender that coated most of her left side. She knew she'd hit the pavement hard but seeing the result of the action made her question her own stability. She'd jumped out of a moving car… She must be losing it.

Elena continued to watch as Elijah eased the covered bag of ice onto her bruised skin, holding it in place with his hand. She inhaled swiftly through her teeth as the sharp cold stung for a moment before providing much needed relief. He met her eyes warily until she took a deep breath and her tense features finally relaxed.

"Thank you," she whispered as she exhaled, reaching down to cover his hand with her own.

After a moment, he moved to slip it away.

"Don't." She clasped his hand in her own before he could withdraw it, causing the bag of ice to slip onto the bed at her side. Her unexpected reaction earned her a look of curiosity mixed with something deep below it she couldn't put a name to. "Please don't go."

He hadn't planned on it, but with the way she was looking at him just then, he couldn't have left her side if he'd wanted to. He tensed, frozen in place, as a thousand thoughts pelted him at once. The gentle tug on his arm wouldn't allow him to focus on any one in particular.

"Elena…" it was a whispered warning, for whom he was not sure.

She didn't falter, instead using her other hand to gently pull at the sleeve of his jacket. He could only wonder if she'd also hit her head in her attempt to escape.

"I don't want to be left alone… Not after last night," she murmured softly, doing what she could to hide the growing anxiety that accompanied the thought. It was enough to almost cause her to tremor. She had barely made it away from Jonas but what if someone much worse was on their way?

A single, uninvited tear fell from the corner of her glistening eye and with it fell his resistance. Leaving her the first time had caused every bit of this.

He eased his coat off of one shoulder, slipping his hand from hers to do the same with the other, laying the shed garment over the arm of the chair. He straightened out on the bed beside her then, his head falling slowly onto the pillow as he stared at the ceiling above. He'd never been so aware of himself in his long life. There were women, and then there was the one he now laid beside.

Elena drew him from his reverie by folding into his side.

She was perfectly aware of what she was doing; seeking comfort from the only source she could find. She wanted to believe that any form of reprieve would have been good enough at this point, but the thought dispersed the moment she felt a secure arm wrap around her back. It was exactly what she needed.

He shifted slightly, reaching behind her with his free hand to grab the fallen bag of ice. With utmost tenderness, he held it back in place over her darkened skin.

She was oblivious to the pain. At the moment, nothing else mattered. She felt secure, protected, and completely lost all at the same time as his dark eyes finally turned down to meet hers. They were bottomless, unreadable; yet soft – vulnerable.

Her head rested in the crook of his shoulder, and his scent was mesmerizing now that she was so close to him. She recognized it due to the first time he'd held her in a similar fashion, but this time she was absolutely aware of him in every definition of the word. It made her mind briefly travel down a very off-limits path and she tore her eyes from his, moving her head to rest instead on his chest. It was just as unyielding as his arms, though the contact brought nothing but sheer relief. She felt untouchable.

Just as the comfort set in, she couldn't help but to think back to his mentioning of Tatia. _You remind me of who I thought she was…_ A sudden pang of guilt struck deep within her. She was using him for her own selfish reasons. He didn't deserve it; not again.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, refusing to look up at him in fear of embarrassing herself any further.

"For?" It rumbled quietly from his chest almost distractedly…because he was. Her warmth at his side was radiating through him; her floral soaps intertwined with her natural scent proving to be intoxicating. She was so strong and fearless in his eyes, yet she confided in him in a moment of pure, human need; clutching onto him as if he were hers to hold onto. It was as breathtakingly beautiful as it was unbelievable.

"This," she murmured, closing her eyes in an attempt to hide her shame and gain some sort of composure. "I can't even imagine how crazy you must think I am right now."

"Now who's judging too harshly?" The slightest hint of amusement lightened his tone as it rolled just beneath her ear. She could almost feel his brow quirk at her.

It gave her the courage to lift her head and meet his eyes. "You can't say you don't judge at all," she retorted as pointedly as she could in her current position, joining in the 'use your own words against you' game that they both wielded so well.

His soft smirk at her words faded as his eyes seemed to find something in hers. "You're right – I can't," he confessed softly, his gaze leaving hers to study the ceiling above as he leaned back on the pillows. "But I could never consider you crazy; daring, certainly, but never anything less."

"Human," she announced as if she were putting a label to his description. "Afraid. Wounded... Human," she breathed, resting her head back against his chest. She felt his hold on her tighten fractionally with her words.

He wanted to tell her that there was nothing to be afraid of; that she would make it through all of this and come out unscathed; but he was not one to make a promise that he wasn't sure he could keep.

The room fell silent for a while and she felt his fingers begin trailing through the length of her hair. It was soothing, adding to the encompassing relief she found herself reveling in. Her eyes slid closed under the sensation.

"If I sleep, will you stay?" Her voice was already growing heavy with relaxed content as she nestled herself just a little closer to his sturdy form.

"For tonight," he agreed, and he could feel her smile into his chest in response.

He wasn't going to deprive her of the peaceful night's sleep she needed so dearly in order to heal... He wasn't going to deprive himself of something similar.

* * *

**Happy belated Valentine's day, lovelies. ;)**

**Elijah returns to TVD in episode 4/18. Prepare yourselves! **

**Hope you enjoyed! **


	19. Light The Way

_We push and pull and I fall down sometimes,  
I'm not letting go,  
You hold the other line._

_Look left look right, _to _the moon in the night._  
_and everything under the stars is in your arms._  
_Cause there is a light, in your eyes, in your eyes._

_~  
**Breathe In Breathe Out - Mat Kearney**_

* * *

"_No, no, no," her mind screamed at her in the darkness of the all too familiar scene. "This can't be happening…"_

_She dug her heels into the dirt, trying to propel her sitting form backwards. __They only slipped through the slickness. _She didn't move. Couldn't move. 

_Blood. It was blood. _

_She held her hands up before her. They were doused in it. _

_The overwhelming scent of iron was as thick and suffocating as the heavy air around her. It covered everything, caking under her nails and seeping idly down the front of her shirt in an alarming quantity._

_It was her own. _

_She shot a hand up toward her neck, finding hair._

_It was not her own. _

_Short, bristly… she turned her head to find the source, sending a burning pain through the muscles of her neck… dirty blonde… She ripped her hand away as if it'd been scorched. _

_His face lifted from the side of her throat to meet her gaze. Steely blue eyes, more inhuman than she'd ever seen weighed intently on hers; deep purple veins swelling and pulsating just beneath. Blood – her blood- coated the tips of ivory fangs, protruding in plain sight well past his full, reddened bottom lip._

_A harsh hand rose to clasp over her mouth before she could scream at the sight. It rolled through her chest, begging her to run; to get as far away from this predator as possible, just as his other arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She was trapped, a prisoner in his hold._

"_Now, now," he purred, warm, rusted breath only inches from her ear sending an ice cold shiver crawling down her spine. "The fun has only just begun, Elena." _

"_Elena – _Elena_"_

"Elena," Elijah's insistent voice pierced through the terrifying image, sending her eyes fluttering open to find impenetrable darkness.

She sat up quickly – too quickly – sending a wave of soreness through her midsection. It was an instant indication that she was now conscious and she found the side of her neck smooth and injury free under her frantically searching touch.

Even so, she shook violently.

"Elena," Elijah repeated from somewhere close beside her. "Are you alright?"

"The light," she breathed, her voice trembling with her shakes. "Please – the light."

Before she could finish the request, the room around her was visible and Elijah sat at her side on the bed. He smoothed a hand upon each of her shoulders; a meager attempt to still her and offer any means of consolation. He didn't have to ask to know what had just happened. He'd seen this before; the widening of her eyes as they flicked around the room, the way her shoulders rose and fell with each shallow breath, her panicked heartbeat.

Klaus.

Her head fell into her hands between his arms.

It was the first time she'd ever truly seen Klaus in her dreams. There was a time when she thought it could be helpful to know what he looked like, but she regretted asking Elijah at all. She had seen vampires in their truest form but none of them compared to the one her own mind had just conjured. His voice still echoed in her ears. She could see him behind her eyelids every time she blinked; piercing blue eyes that took her in as if she belonged in them; thick blood seeping down his chin and neck… her own. It was horrifying.

She attempted to calm herself, taking a few deep breaths to pull it together enough to meet Elijah's patient gaze.

His hands fell from her shoulders when she did. The understanding that there was no need for an explanation was shared by his silence, but his concern was still present whether he was attempting to conceal it or not.

She ran a hand through her tangled hair. "It was just a dream," she reassured aloud for both of their sakes. "A horrible, horrible dream." The heel of her hand slid down her forehead to rub her heavy eyes. She still felt tired but the last thing she wanted was to fall back asleep.

"How are your injuries?" He asked quietly, attempting to maneuver the conversation away from one ailment to the current lesser.

The pain was there but she hadn't been able to focus on it until he asked. She almost winced with the realization, "Now that you mention it…" She hunched forward slightly to test her limits. "It still hurts, but the ice helped."

Elijah ran his eyes over her face warily, and for a moment she thought he didn't believe her.

"I owe you an apology I could never properly give you," he confessed quietly, his eyes falling solemn as they found the comforter.

He had been very much awake while she slept, battered and restless at his side, while his own troubled mind never ceased to vex him.

It was far from anything she'd expected to hear and it caught her completely off guard. "What?"

Elijah's gaze angled to where her cracked ribs were resting just below her clothing. "Every bit of the suffering you've faced under my watch; the nightmares, your current condition... Even acts delivered by Klaus' own hand will be a direct result of my actions." He absently ran his fingers along the edge of the blanket.

"Elijah," she spoke up softly to stop him. "Don't." She tilted her head down in an attempt to meet his eyes. "I'm in this for my own reasons now. You have nothing to feel guilty for. These injuries – they were my fault; they will heal and this will all be over soon. Klaus will be dead and we'll both get what we want."

Trying to console him while in need of it herself proved to come more naturally than she expected. Even if he felt bad for his methods, she had already come to terms with the fact that the ritual was going to happen regardless. The last thing she wanted to do to him was add more guilt onto the weight he already bared.

He smiled just barely, a sad thing that failed to touch his eyes, leaving them heavy with something she couldn't quite decipher. The fact that he wouldn't meet her gaze was enough to let her know her reassuring had proved unsuccessful.

"The nightmares are nothing new," she murmured, earning the slightest raise of his brow though he still distracted himself with the duvet. She scoffed humorlessly. "I had them long before all this. They're much more vivid these days but I guess that comes with the territory… They started when I lost them…" her voice failed her and she couldn't finish the statement. Elijah's eyes finally lifting to meet her own let her know she didn't have to.

"They say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger," he murmured earnestly, knowing that the commonly misused statement was capable of holding just as much truth as it did error, baring witness to a mixture of the ideals with his own two eyes.

"They're wrong," she shook her head as her gaze fell to the blanket draped over her lap. "You learn to guard yourself; to block out the fear and the pain it causes so it doesn't consume you…change you… until you're only a fraction of the person you once were." Her eyes flicked briefly to his as she spoke from personal experience, "That's not strength. That's adaptation."

Elijah considered her for a moment. "So you are a direct product of your circumstances." It was a statement more than a question.

She nodded. "We all are."

Elijah gave his own shallow nod in agreement. "Such wisdom for your years." He squint his eyes slightly as he mused. "If tragedy molded the honorable ideals and intents you carry with you now, I can't help but to wonder what the unhindered Elena was like…"

She couldn't stop the lifting of her lips. "You would have liked her... She was a lot less gloomy."

He too smiled sadly at that. It was something else they shared.

"I enjoy you now," his gaze fixed on her, drawing her to his eyes like a moth to flame as they always seemed to do when he looked at her that way. "Though the path that's led you here is most unfortunate – here you are. If that's not strength then I've been improperly informed of the definition."

"I can't even make it one night without trembling in fear of something," she deflected. Her tone hinted at frustration, but even he could see it was directed toward herself. "Just as I was beginning to feel a sense of peace – normality, Jonas reminded me of just how easily it can be ripped away. I should be used to it by now but I'm not…"

Elijah's brow furrowed mid-confession, and Elena took a moment to decide whether or not to answer his silent inquiry. She took a breath to steel her resolve.

"I feel safe with you, Elijah."

He had become aware of that the moment she fell asleep on his chest but it failed to soften the blow of the admission. He would have been content with staying with her like that forever; pretending that his own brother hadn't murdered his entire family; that he wasn't forcing the girl whose warm cheek had rested just over his heart to partake in an attempt to restore their honor, having the potential to cause her death. Ignoring the idea that his own past inhibited him from finding an ounce of the reprieve he provided; from coming to terms with the feeling that made him want to claim the title of her 'pillow' in the first place.

One thing was a firm truth. He loved his family dearly and would do all it took to avenge them. _Family above all._

His eyes cautiously softened on hers. "I can't promise that you are."

"I know that," Elena whispered with dejected acceptance and a single nod. "But it's all I have."

He was the last bit of solidity in her world while she steadily enlightened his own. The realization was enough for him to pull her gently into his arms as he eased them back down onto the pillows.

The sheer sweetness of the gesture had her fighting back hot tears. It was at that moment she was sure that vampires both had souls and perfectly functioning hearts (even if both had been tested by the cruelest punishments life could offer for far too many years).

She curled into him just as she had before. His pointed agenda partnered with her trust in him made him the most dangerous creature on the planet, yet she couldn't bring herself to care as she shifted to find a comfortable position in his hold.

She had found relief in a very select few after her parent's death. Then with Katherine showing up, the idea of safety had grown to be permanently out of her reach.

Being around Elijah felt different. It wasn't that he was one of the strongest vampires on the planet; one who could swat lesser vampires to their deaths as if they were nothing more than pesky flies. It wasn't that he was an original, carrying more experiences and wisdom than any mortal could hope to claim. In truth, it had nothing to do with his status at all.

It was the fact that he didn't _have_ to comfort her. In harsh honesty, it was not his place to. She was sure he realized that just as easily as she did, but the protective hold of his arm around her back clearly displayed the unimportance of the matter. He did it because he wanted to. And if he didn't mind, neither did she.

Her head found the familiar crook of his shoulder as she draped a hand on his chest.

"Try to rest," he urged quietly. "There are still a few hours till dawn and we'll have to travel tomorrow."

She turned anxious eyes up to meet his.

"You won't suffer from any more nightmares," he promised in a whisper, trailing his fingers in languid patterns across the back of her hand. "You have my word."

And it was all the reassurance she needed.

* * *

When she blinked her eyes awake, the sunlight glowing around the edge of the closed curtains was the only indication of morning. She had slept peacefully, a calming blankness taking the place of vivid nightmares, leaving her feeling much better – though only mentally. The sting from her injuries was instant when she moved after being still throughout the night.

She blinked her eyes a few more times to focus, finding that Elijah was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't surprising that he had left the bed but him leaving the room was a different story.

She was just about to throw the blankets off herself when she heard his muffled voice coming from just outside.

He pushed the door open shortly after, beckoning a middle-aged woman to enter. She carried a silver tray and a warm smile on her round face as she made her way across the room. The tray was set on the small dinette table before she met Elena's eyes and excused herself with a simple "Enjoy."

Elijah stopped her at the door and tipped her enough to make her smile at him just a little warmer, though Elena couldn't focus on just how much that was.

She was distracted by the smell of warm waffles and fresh, hot coffee that wafted through the room.

Elijah pushed the door shut behind the woman before turning to face Elena.

"Good morning," He greeted, making his way over to pick one of the cups of coffee from the tray before taking a seat at the table. "Did we wake you?"

"No, I woke on my own," she answered, shifting to sit as upright on the edge of bed as she could. She craned her neck to search the platter's contents.

"They didn't have much of a selection," he excused, turning his attention to the small stack of waffles. "I hope this will suffice."

"It's perfect," Elena replied truthfully, struggling some but managing to get to her feet and make her way to the chair across from him. She was absolutely famished and anything edible would do just fine.

The breakfast platter consisted of three square waffles, a few small plastic cups of butter, maple syrup, and a short glass vase, complete with a small plastic sunflower.

She eyed it for a moment before setting the vase in the middle of the table to make more room on her tray. Elijah watched on as she opened a cup of butter, spreading even portions between each of the three layers of the stack before topping them off with just enough syrup to drip down the sides.

The corner of his mouth quirked when she noticed him staring.

"Did you want one?" She asked, almost embarrassed.

"No, thank you. I'm not hungry" He took a sip from his foam coffee cup. "But I'm glad to see that you finally are. A good night's sleep was obviously needed."

"I have to fuel up for whatever death defying stunt I'm going to attempt today," she faked a smile before taking a bite of waffle from her fork.

Elijah merely smirked with a shake of his head, setting his coffee down on the table to pluck the sunflower from its vase. "We are leaving when you're done."

"Back to the safe-house?" she asked between bites.

He nodded. "Yes, but just long enough to gather your belongings and the elixir. We will be arriving in Mystic Falls before nightfall tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" She raised a brow at him. "Won't we be a few days early?"

"Yes," he nodded again, his eyes moving to look past the blurring flower he twirled lazily between his fingers to find hers. "I promised you I'd keep your family safe. While you still may, I will no longer confide in Jonas to uphold my word so I will be seeing to it myself."

A smile of gratitude eased itself across her face, crinkling her eyes. "Thank you." She was sure there were a thousand other words she could use to express how much it meant to her, but none would do the feeling any justice.

Elijah rose from his seat just as she took the last bite of her breakfast, reaching out hand to her to help her from her own. "It's the least I can do."

* * *

They made it to the lobby where he quickly returned the room key with the necessary compulsion of the desk attendant to forget it ever happened.

The morning sun poured through the pair of glass front doors at the entrance and Elijah stopped abruptly to face her just before they reached them.

"Here," he shrugged off his jacket, slipping it over her shoulders. It was large enough to effectively hide most of her tattered and stained clothing. She pulled it closed at the front. "I have a car waiting outside for us."

"Someone was busy this morning," she pointed out incredulously, moving to step through the door as he held it open for her. "You didn't steal it did you?"

He raised his brow at her question as he fell in stride with her careful steps. "You take me for a thief?"

She shot him a painfully obvious '_I have every right to'_ glance and he couldn't help but to be slightly taken aback by her playful take on the topic. It was an abrupt reminder of just how much their composition had changed.

"I'll have you know I paid handsomely for this vehicle," he stepped just off to the left to rest his arm in a show of mock pride on the roof of a dingy, used-to-be-blue hatchback that screamed '_I just got my driver's license and this is my cheap trial ride'_. He obviously didn't have a very wide selection to choose from.

She giggled audibly past the hand that rose to stifle it. It almost hurt her ribs. "Is it… safe?" She asked when she caught her breath, making her way to stand beside him.

"Rides as smooth as silk," he blatantly lied, his feigned satisfaction wavering when he took a good look at the car he leaned on. "It will definitely throw off any searching eyes…"

Unease took the place of humor upon her features with his words as she continued to eye the car, though he was sure her mind was elsewhere.

Elijah shifted beside her, bringing her attention up to him as he reached his fingers into the front pocket of the jacket she now donned. The small sunflower emerged from its depths. He twirled it once between his thumb and forefinger before leaning forward to delicately tuck its thin stem into the hair just above her ear.

"And I will be here, should it fail."

* * *

**I'm sorry this chapter took a little longer for me to update than most. **

**I sadly lost my Chihuahua puppy to parvovirus a few days ago and it has just been an all-around bad week. **

**On a brighter note, I truly hope you liked this chapter and reading your thoughts never fails to brighten my day! **

**Speaking of, Elijah presented Elena with the sunflower because I feel it is a symbol of everything she is to him; bright, beautiful, natural. Also, the sunflower represents 'adoration or to be held in high regard.' **

**And it is quite obvious that both of those ring true. ;)**

**Thanks so much for reading! **


	20. You And I Collide

_Even the best fall down sometimes_  
_Even the wrong words seem to rhyme_  
_Out of the doubt that fills my mind_  
_I somehow find_  
_You and I collide_

~  
**Collide - Howie Day**

* * *

The three hour car ride to the safe-house consisted entirely of planning; Elijah intricately explaining every detail of how the next few days were going to play out and Elena listening avidly and taking mental notes as if her life depended on it… because that very well could be the case.

They would be staying at a second protected location on the outer skirts of Mystic Falls. Close enough to keep an eye on the situation at hand without drawing attention to themselves until absolutely necessary.

She would take the elixir just before the ritual and once she had it in her possession, he had made a point to emphasize that she would not go anywhere without it on her person until then, in case of any unexpected circumstances.

When the time finally came, Klaus would be dealt with on Elijah's terms and though he failed to go into detail on what exactly that entailed, she found herself not minding the spared specifics.

"While I will never hold his trust again, you will be offered as a feigned attempt to earn it." Elijah spoke as if it were nothing more than common knowledge, glancing over to gauge her reaction and finding it unchanged. "Ideally, his arrogant nature will allow him to believe it to be my repentance... Enough for him to not suspect foul play, though he will be on edge regardless… He's waited a very long time for this."

"So have you," Elena replied sensibly as she looked across the car at him.

Elijah nodded a single time. "Yes, but after waiting a century for this day to come, the last thing I want to do is underestimate him."

"You know him better than most," Elena agreed, turning her gaze to watch the blurred trees out the passenger window. "…Are you sure you can go through with it?" She questioned him carefully.

She had certainly not forgotten the palpable anger that broke through Elijah's usual calm when Jonas had questioned his 'stance' on the matter, but that was far from what she was doing.

She knew his sorrow. Klaus had torn away each and every one of his loved ones, piling the blame entirely on him, but there was a time long past when Klaus himself had fit the title. After everything, no matter what vile acts Klaus had carried out, they were brothers. Family. And Elijah would be the one to single handedly take the life of the last bit of any relations he had left in the world.

No, she was not questioning his stance. She was questioning his heart.

One she'd grown to know well enough to realize how hard this was going to be for him no matter how potent the need for revenge burned within him.

"Yes."

It was a single, conclusive, word; enough to make it obvious that the topic was still unbidden.

* * *

It was strange walking into the house that was once her prison and feeling more at home than she had in as long as she could remember. The scent of antiqued wood and aged books was delightful and the warm light that filled the entry way gave off a calming glow. She had so many unforgettable experiences in this one house that the sense of familiarity it bared was bittersweet, knowing that it was going to be ripped away much too soon; just as with most normal aspects in her life.

She dwelled on the thought as she leisurely made her way up the stairs to clean herself up and repacked her things.

She took her time, folding each article of clothing with care while using the spare moments to take in every last detail of the room around her.

Elijah's room. The room she was so graciously allotted right from the beginning, though he honestly possessed the capability to stow her away anywhere. The room she had grown to call her own. Where he had first regarded her so coldly, deeming her nothing more than an asset. Where he had tended to her; his humanity shown openly for the very first time. Where she learned the first bit about his family and the undying love he carried for them. Where he'd held her close and built her back up after tearing her down. Where he began to open his heart to her and show her both his troubles and who he truly was beneath them whether he'd meant to or not.

Though she was sure she didn't know everything about the man who's arms she had just spent the night in at some random hotel, she had learned enough.

Captive. Ally. Trust.

Just down the hall he had offered her an attempt to save her life. Just down the stairs he was waiting to lead her to a very possible death.

She closed off the thought just as she closed the zipper of her bag. Now was no time to dwell upon something so confound.

When she threw the strap over her shoulder to turn and leave the room, she was surprised to find him leaning a shoulder on the doorframe. He eyed the space in front of him, as if lost in his own thoughts and Elena wondered just how long he'd been standing there.

"Sorry, I'm almost ready," she excused, figuring he must have come up to check on her due to her taking so long.

She was anything but ready.

Elijah's gaze turned to her as she took a long last look around his bedroom, eyeing each detail as if she were trying to capture the sight forever in her memory.

It was an afflicting scene to behold.

In truth, he was only half honest in his reason for being in such a hurry to get back to Mystic Falls. While some of it did lie behind the fact that he had made a promise to protect her loved ones, a part of him knew that if he had spent another night with her in that hotel room he wouldn't have been able to let her leave. In complete honesty, the location didn't matter at all. One more night alone with her and nothing would ever harm her again.

And sadly, that was not part of the plan.

Instead he turned silently, allowing her to brush past him as she made her way down the hall to the bathroom to collect her soaps and toiletries. He followed along shortly after, again perching himself in the doorway just as he had the bedroom.

She caught him staring as she collected her bottles from the shower.

"What?" She asked inquisitively, noticing the faint look of deliberation on his face, though she didn't know if he was pondering something or just growing impatient.

He blinked once, as if coming to, taking a moment to seemingly resolve something in his own thoughts before replying. "I'm revoking my offer."

Elena froze, a bottle of shampoo held tight in her hand, her eyes snapping up to find his. "Which one?"

He turned his gaze away from her, finding the roof; the sink; and finally resting on the floor, before he answered her quietly. "In a moment of personal weakness I presented you with an option that was not mine to give. Disturbing the natural balance of things… it was selfish of me to even consider such an offer."

The room fell quiet for a moment as Elena thought back to that night.

"…But it was one that had to be given," she whispered in understanding, remembering every detail; every word he'd uttered in the beautiful dream he had provided her with. The way he trusted her enough to tell her, show her, the darkest period of his life. How his eyes drank her in as his fingers gently slid through a lock of her hair. The way his offer made it clear enough that he didn't want to lose her, just as his mother never wanted to lose her children.

From that night on, things had been different between them, she knew it, but coming face to face with a feeling other than complete dread was hard to do after everything she'd been through… and especially with what she had yet to face.

So when his tongue flicked across his bottom lip and his half-guarded eyes finally rose from the floor to re-find hers, the room suddenly felt way too small. Sure, she'd felt uncomfortable in Elijah's presence once upon a time but in that moment, something changed. This was a much, much different feeling. One that had been there for a while, hidden deep beneath grief and fear and loss. One that wasn't allowed, and she was well aware of it. Too aware of it. And she needed out.

She turned away to hurriedly grab the last of her bottles from the shower shelf and shove them in her bag. "I couldn't have chosen that option anyway…"

"I know that," he spoke with honest acceptance, "but it was not my place to even plant the idea in your mind… a seed of darkness in something so pure... It was wrong of me."

"To feel?" Elena replied a little too sharply, feeling the unexpected heat of frustration at his words as her attention snapped back completely on him. "To want to not sit back and watch me die?" She signaled herself with a hand to her chest and watched on as he forced a slow, practiced blink.

"You know that doesn't work with me anymore…" Her eyes flicked briefly to his shoes as he stepped to cross the threshold into the room. "You can't hide from me anymore…no matter how much you wish you could." She pointed a finger towards the unreadable mask that claimed his face (one that she had learned to read like a book), as he took another slow step to half the distance between them. "You feel, Elijah. You hurt. You smile. You…" Elijah cocked a questioning eyebrow at her, though his eyes softened just beneath them. "Feel," she finished as he took another calculated step at the same time she subconsciously took a matching step backwards.

"You didn't give me that offer because you felt you had to," she continued unyieldingly with the slight shake of her head. Her back met the cool of the tiled wall just as he took a last step to close the distance between them. Its sturdiness was almost welcomed.

With her words his hand rose to brush against her cheek, the heat of her oncoming blush finding relief in the cool of his palm. Her entire being finding a disconcerting amount of relief in his touch alone.

"You offered it because you wanted to…" she declared somewhat softer, watching on as several different emotions passed through his eyes so quickly that she was sure she couldn't put a name to them all. "And there's nothing wrong with that," she whispered up to him.

He gave her just enough time to see every single one of her choices in the depths of eyes, though his own mind was clearly made up, his own choice set in stone. She had all the time in the world to coax his hand away from her face, to turn away from his touch, but every force within her was pushing her farther into it.

When his lips lowered to hover just above hers, they were hesitant at first, silently asking permission from her in the only way he knew how.

Her eyes slid closed under the heavy sensation of the rest of the world falling into the background.

For a fraction of a second, she was completely lost with absolutely no idea how to react. It had all happened so fast. Retracted offers, undermined feelings, and now she found herself questioning the depth of her own, though it was far, far too late.

She inclined her head just enough to press her lips to his in response, finding that the act ignited her senses in a way that made her palms push against the cool wall behind her for some form of support.

It was the pleasant feeling of nothingness. If simply holding Elijah's hand was capable of grounding her to the earth, his kiss is what would surely make it feel like home. All of her troubles and fears seemingly vanishing as her focus set solely on how perfectly his tender lips seemed to meld against her own, matching most other aspects they shared. So much that she was all too aware of their absence the moment he pulled back, ending the kiss just as quickly as it began.

Even so, she was left breathless, allowing her eyes to remain closed until she felt she would be capable to re-open them upon the man who never failed to leave her at a lack for words in one way or another. A man who's heart was shown so clearly to only her, though her eyes were still shut. A heart she knew she wasn't allowed to claim in her circumstances whether she wanted to or not.

"I can't…" she breathed, her eyelids scrunching in the barest movements before they inched open.

"I know," he replied, his own composure somewhat lacking, though his eyes were lit so warmly in a way she'd never seen. They studied every feature of her face, falling to follow the trial his thumb lightly traced along her jawline.

He leaned in once more to softly press his lips to hers in a short, sweet kiss that she found herself not minding at all despite her voiced rejection.

When he pulled back, his eyes held a weight to them that nearly put out their light. "It would be a shame if the world lost a soul as compassionate as yours," he whispered, his hand sliding away from her face, the moment ending just as abruptly as it began.

He turned to grab her travel bag from the counter, a familiar mask slipping back onto his once revealing features as he looped the strap over his shoulder and made his way out of the room.

* * *

**Please accept this chapter as a token of my apology. I have been so so SO busy lately with traveling and a new job that this chapter just seemed to take me forever! I truly hope you love it and thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so patient with me. **

**I was putting out a chapter just about every week but I sadly don't foresee that being possible. I swear to you it's not a lack of interest, just a lack of time and I will be posting as often as I can!**

**Also, Elijah's return in 4x18 was more than I could have ever hoped and dreamed for as a fan girl, up until Elena started being a total... Well you know. I will not be corrupting her character in such a way. **

**I've watched the kissing scene at least a thousand times during this horrid hiatus and Daniel Gillies is simply, completely, utterly dreamy. ;) **

**Thanks so much for reading! **


	21. Midnight Sun

_Pitter pat, the angel on my shoulder_  
_is haunting me tonight_  
_Tick tock, the clock is getting louder_  
_ready for me to decide_

~  
**Pitter Pat – Erin Mccarley**

* * *

The descent down the stairs and to the car was much worse than any walk of shame. Mostly because there simply was none to be found.

Sure he realized what he'd just done. The wordless declaration he'd just made. How he _couldn't_ just as much as she. She would never feel anything equivalent for him. How could she after everything he'd done to her? But bringing it upon himself to even be somewhat regretful seemed entirely out of his reach.

It had been a long time coming, decades of restraint slipping away, as if it hadn't been perilously fine-tuned at all. Under nothing more than her soothing words of acceptance. He had tried his best to hide from her but what a failed attempt that proved to be. He would have once referred to such a thing as a weakness, but at the moment he felt anything – everything, but.

He loved her. He knew it. From day one, a thousand years ago. Admitting it aloud, even to himself, was half the battle. A millennium long search for the only woman he'd ever loved, though he hadn't been searching at all. For the woman he once thought Tatia to be.

But what he found in Elena was so much more than just that. So much more than he could have ever imagined. She was the second chance that he wasn't allowed to take. A breath of fresh air to blackened lungs. His reawakening from the darkness of the lone life he led. And there simply were no words for the regard in which he held her.

The only problem was that it was far too late. She was something else too. She was and would always be the Petrova Doppelganger. And though that was the last thing he could ever see when he looked upon her face, it would be the only thing Klaus would account for. Her sacrifice being the only aspect of her the imprudent hybrid would ever care about until he ceased to be.

And it was at that moment that a new reason was added to the ever-burning need to end his brother's rotten existence.

* * *

Elena's mind continued to scream at her about just how wrong it was to kiss Elijah back while her heart could only puzzle over why. It didn't help that the scene repeatedly flashed through her thoughts as she inwardly scrutinized the spectacle. She had never experienced anything like it. The mixture of inhuman strength and mind-numbing weakness it provided. The rush that came with the thought of someone so incredibly powerful being so momentarily vulnerable.

The unspoken reasons behind his action. A reason that now needed no voice. Nothing ever seemed to be outwardly declared between them, but only because there was no need. An attempt at keep a secret would surely be made in vain with the way they learned to so easily read one another. Sometimes words were just not necessary at all.

When Elena finally emerged from the house, pulling the door closed securely behind her for the last time, she spotted a much sleeker, charcoal-black car backing out of the garage and into the drive way. She was sure Elijah was in the driver's seat, though the windows were tinted too dark to see through. While she had no inkling of its model it was definitely a more Elijah-like means of transportation. To be quite honest, she couldn't really focus on it too much at all as he got out to make his way over to the passenger side door, holding it open for her without so much as a word.

The short drive through the trees that led to the slightly longer dirt road that eventually led to the first signs of civilization felt like it took much longer this time around than during their arrival; the whole experience proving to be much, _much_ too quiet. The tension of the atmosphere was the driving force that pushed her finger to reach out for the power button on the stereo.

A low hum of static filled the space around them, clueing her in on just how far from civilization they actually were. She faintly remembered his claim of mastering the art of not being found. That was no exaggeration.

Elijah's hand reaching across to pull down the passenger side visor distracted her from the unsettling thought as a sleeve filled to the brim with CD's came into view.

"Any requests?" She inquired vaguely, internally thankful for the diversion from what was truly on her mind. She pulled them out individually to read their titles as they caught her interest. She recognized a few, but most she did not. Some titles were in a different language altogether.

"No," he replied evenly, glancing briefly from the road toward her. "If I own it, I enjoy it."

She continued eyeing through the discs, not sure if his answer should leave her feeling dumb for asking or grateful that she could spend more time distracting herself with choosing.

Elijah watched out of the corner of his eye as she dwindled her way down to three choices, one resting on each of her thighs as she held the third up to read the song titles.

"The one on the left is oddly suitable for such circumstances…" He noted aloud, nodding his head in its direction.

She replaced the one she held with the one in question.

"Sha-_stak_-ovich," Elena read aloud choppily, a query on her brow. She had kept the disc out merely because the name had caught her eye.

"_Shastakovich,"_ Elijah's practiced Russian accent producing the strange name in a much more enticing manner. "A firm believer in evil triumphing good, due to his own befallen state of affairs."

If the accent alone hadn't piqued her interest, his open-ended summary would have. "How could someone ever become so hopeless?"

"By having to compose under the direct scrutiny of Stalin himself," Elijah supplied feebly. "Constantly oppressed by a set of strict standards. Unsure as to whether or not he would be alive to create the music he loved the next day should he not meet them."

She was taken aback by the tale. "Why would anyone still listen to something like that?" Elena wondered aloud, all the while trying to imagine such a life… and finding it much too easy.

"For the same reason one would listen to songs about sorrow or heartbreak…" He cleared his throat. "Such beautiful things can be created during hardship and distress that at times they almost entirely mask the consequences."

He slid the disc from her hands to feed it into the CD player.

The sound of sharp, squealing strings filled the car in way that momentarily had her imagining she'd been thrown into a mediocre horror movie. Her hand instinctively shot toward the eject button, though Elijah's own was already over it, denying her access.

"Give it a moment," he urged, removing his hand just as the symphony softened into a gentle harmony, effectively proving his point.

The sounds of weaving woodwinds soon mixed in with drawn out strings, giving it a touch of sadness that she was sure weighed upon every ear it befell. It was considerably different than the cheerier music they'd once shared a dance to, but she could not deny its beauty.

"Almost," she nodded in agreement.

* * *

Elena woke from a short nap just as the streets began to grow somewhat familiar. The cool leather seats and roomy interior of the car was found to be much more comfortable than the previous and she had to admit that the soothing music had done just that.

She recognized some of the names on the street signs as they drove through the residential area, the slowing down of the car from interstate speed most likely guilty of drawing her from her slumber. She had been down these streets before, though not often enough for them to be easily remembered.

They were close.

When she could begin to name the streets they passed before reading their signs, she realized just how near to the heart of Mystic Falls they were traveling toward. Though she wanted to question exactly where their next destination would be, she couldn't help but get distracted by the thought of being so close to home. Her high school, The Grill, would be only a few more miles up the street. Just passed those would be the town square and the Lockwood Mansion. There, you could take a right and be at Matt, Bonnie, or Caroline's house in no more than a few minutes. Keep going and you couldn't miss the grandeur of the Salvatore Boarding House. Go left instead and there would be Jenna… Jeremy… home.

Elijah had noticed her stir and watched as her gaze turned nostalgic as she eyed the scene around her. There was a time long past when he would have shared the same look upon entering the little town but with the growth of population and structural development, it now looked nothing like the Falls he once called home. It was almost a sickening feeling now, entering the town where he'd lost everything. He found himself almost thankful for the lack of recognition.

"Would you like to see them?" he offered quietly, shaking off his own thoughts while reaching to lower the music.

Elena was nearly overwhelmed by the simple question as she turned away from the passenger window to eye him.

Did she want to see them? She would be able to say her goodbyes the right way but Elijah would surely have to make them forget it ever happened. She probably would end up wanting him to for their own safety, and she just couldn't see how that would be in any way fair to them. Would it make things any easier or just add to the ever-growing amount of despair she felt, knowing it may very well be the last time she laid eyes upon their faces?

Her puzzled gaze fell to her lap. "…I don't know."

Elijah nodded thoughtfully. He would have given anything to see the faces of his family just one last time, if only for just a moment, but his circumstances were considerably different than the one he placed her in. "You have some time to think it through."

They rode in silence for a while, the sound of crunching gravel under tires filling the air as Elijah turned onto a path she wasn't aware existed. The trees were lush and colorful and familiar around her and she fondly recalled late-night parties and sneaking out with friends in those same woods back when times were far less complicated.

Now they were aiding in her protection. Keeping her safe and out of view from the wrong eyes. Just as they had always done, she supposed.

The trail widened some and when the house at the end finally came into view, it was exactly what one would expect to find deep in the woods of Mystic Falls. Ancient looking stone that held a historical heir about it, giving the huge dwelling an antiqued charm. Vibrant green vines grew up the right side and front, contrasting against the darkening marble in a way that both made the place appear as if it were being reclaimed by nature, while seeming to make itself at home within the flora itself.

When the car came to a stop in front, she stood to stretch her achy legs. They'd had only made one stop to satisfy her humanly needs somewhere in between and her muscles didn't fail to protest. The pain in her ribs had simmered down to a nearly constant dull ache over the last couple days and she realized she was growing used to it when it panged her slightly more than usual as she stretched her arms above her head. It made her feel overly grateful toward Elijah for the way he'd tended to her that night, troubling himself with fetching her ice and cool rags. His methods had almost completely, thankfully, helped her forget the bitter taste of vampire blood.

She could only hope she would heal completely before the night of the ritual came. She would need all the strength she could get then.

Elijah exited the car shortly after and she heard the sound of the trunk popping open behind her. Moments later he was at her side with the strap of her bag over his shoulder and his own travel suitcase in his hand.

"Feel free to make yourself comfortable here," he offered, his eyes truly meeting hers for the first time since their departure.

"Um… I'd like to stay outside for a while if that's okay… Stretch my legs some." She felt childish not being able to hold his gaze, her eyes instead finding something inherently interesting about the ground just in front of her.

"Elena," he called softly. She knew it was only to draw her attention back to him but she could never get over how his way of saying her name treated each syllable as if it were something of priceless value. Sacred even. When she turned her gaze up to meet his she could see the concern in his eyes. "Keep this with you from now on," he instructed, pulling a much thinner, corked vile than the elixir had previously been in from his pocket. "For the time being, I can't be sure if we're safe here and it is best to be prepared."

She took it from him, placing it safely in her pants pocket. "I might be able to find out," she offered, an idea popping into her mind. "If I can have a way to contact Jonas or Luka I may be able to call in one of my favors."

Elijah continued to eye her as he silently considered the idea. "And you trust them to be honest with you?"

She took a moment to decide whether she truly did or not. "I trust Luka enough," she allotted, remembering the relief on his face when she'd seen to it that his father wasn't executed before his eyes. "We might at least be able to get Klaus' current location out of them."

Her clearly premeditated idea somewhat surprised him. "Any information is better than going into this blind." A beat later and Elijah had his cell phone in hand and was holding it out to her.

* * *

She found herself ambling somewhere behind the house after she left the bare necessities of a message in Jonas' voicemail. She had honestly not expected him to pick up but hopefully at least one of the pair would hear it was from her and return the call.

She pressed the end button, absently slipping the phone in her back pocket just as she would have her own. She gave it no second thought, the sound of the forest around her drawing her attention away almost instantly. The sun was hovering low, sitting just below the tree tops as chirping birds and squirrels scurried to find their settling places to escape the chill of the oncoming night. The sound of a bubbling stream somewhere close by caught her interest and she found herself wandering toward it.

A small, sloping gulley gave way to the dark rocks of the water bank and she settled herself amongst them, finding the serenity of such a place to be a pleasant distraction. Elijah always seemed to own houses near such natural occurrences, leading her to believe he appreciated their calming qualities just as much as she.

When the thought of him caused her heart to flutter she didn't quite know what to make of it. He was an Original vampire. He had turned her world completely upside down. He loved her.

The words themselves never passed his lips, but they didn't have to. That's the beauty of it, she thinks as she skims a small stone across the stream, watching as all trace of it disappeared beneath the surface. He would never have to say it if he didn't want to. She would know all the same.

It was an odd feeling being able to decipher someone else's feelings easier than she could her own. Both a developed skill and an unrelenting curse it seemed. She slung the second pebble just a little harder into the shallow water when a pinch of frustration was added into the mix.

She did know she was fond of his calming presence. The way he kept her grounded and firm when she wanted nothing more than to sink into oblivion. The way he let her make her own decisions; a freedom she so easily took for granted once upon a time. The strength he unknowingly provided her with, with a single touch; those times when her hand was held securely in his, or his arms, strong around her back, or his lips gingerly pressed to hers.

"Are you alright?" Elijah's calm voice resounded from a few feet behind her and she barely avoided a flinch at the unexpected sound. "You've been out for a while."

He stepped just behind her to place a blanket around her shoulders, in hopes to offset the chill that came with the setting sun. He had heard her heart beat increasing just moments before he'd arrived, though he couldn't imagine why with the content way he'd found her.

She looked over her shoulder, her eyes finding the ground around his black shoes. "No – I'm not," she murmured.

Elijah took that as his cue to stay, finding a space on the rock just beside her. He lifted a smooth pebble from the ground beside him, rolling it over in his hand. "What troubles you lovely Elena? Or is there even reason to ask…"

For a moment, she watched as the pebble tumbled between his fingers. "When you fell in love with her… how did you know?"

The question caused the rock to fall to the ground at her side, though she dared not look to see the reaction it would draw upon his face. The sound of the bubbling stream was all that could be heard for some time.

She watched from the corner of her eye as he silently picked up the same stone, sending it blurring across the water where it finally skimmed once and sank to the bottom near the far edge.

"I lost her." Elijah murmured, breaking the quiet rigidity, his tone instantly pulling her down with him. He had failed to add_ "to Klaus" _but they both knew he didn't have to.

It hit her hard then; just how much he'd had to face at his own brother's hands, and before she knew what was happening, her vision grew fuzzy with unshed tears. "And you don't want to lose me?" She asked with a sniffle, doing what she could to compose herself.

She looked over at him when he didn't answer immediately, allowing herself to truly search his face without be hindered by an unnamable fear. Even in the dim of twilight, she didn't miss the look he wore just then. The look of grim disorientation. Of being perplexed beyond comprehension. Caught red handed in an accidental crime.

He answered her only with the slow shake of his head. And that was good enough for her.

She held the blanket closed tight around her shoulders as she moved to sit just in front of him, pulling his right hand around her to hold it in her lap with her left. The immediate sense of protection made itself known. Whether it was merely an imagined façade created by dire circumstances or as true as the day was long, she still did not know; did not care, but it only intensified when he wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her back to lean against his chest, taking hold of her small hand in both of his.

They sat that way for a long while, watching on helplessly as the nearly round moon climbed higher and higher into the starry night sky.

* * *

**This is what 3 days off in a row allows! **

**Thank you so much for reading! I'd love to know what you think! **


	22. Ready Or Not

_'Cause I know that time has numbered my days  
__and I'll go along with everything you say  
__But I'll ride home laughing, look at me now  
__the walls of my town, they come crumbling down_

**_Babel - Mumford & Sons_**

* * *

Elijah had to will himself to urge her inside a while later. While he hated to be the one to disrupt something so uncommonly peaceful, his feeling of unease refused to plague him over being even the slightest bit unprepared for the situation at hand.

"Who takes care of this place?" Elena asked mid-awe as she paused at the opening of the large doors of the ancient dwelling. Elijah closed them securely behind them once she stepped through, gesturing for her to follow as he passed.

The first thing she noticed was the sheer size of the manor. The expanse of at least three stories were clearly visible, obstructed only by thin banisters. A pair of glossy staircases curved tastefully up to them around either side of the entry way, perfectly framing the aged statue of an upset angel that claimed the center. Long, flowing hair parted around the base of her wings and clung to her thin face pressed distraughtly into the palm of one of her hands. Elena was left to wonder what could have cause such a thing.

The white stone walls were bare around her, though it almost seemed right due to the house itself being a work of art.

She walked on to find that the entrance opened up into a large sitting area that would have easily held her entire home with plenty of square footage to spare. Further inspecting would have intricately been carried out if Elijah hadn't already made his way past it to the next room as if its grandeur was nothing more than a waste of space. She ended up following him into one of the most elegant marble kitchens she'd ever seen.

"The owners," he replied with his back to her as he fussed with something on the counter in front of him. "I only acquire it when necessary." He turned a few moments later to throw an empty blood bag into the garbage can before facing her; a newly poured glass of blood held leisurely in his hand.

"So they knew we were coming?" She asked curiously as she eyed the dark liquid that stained the sides of the fine crystal.

"Of course, and I took the necessary precautions to be sure that no one else would," he replied evenly, answering her next question before she had the chance to ask it. He took a sip from the glass. "Would you like something to drink?"

_Compulsion_. She didn't know why, but the entire concept of it still unnerved her. More-so than watching an Original drink human blood from a cup.

"Is there tea?" She replied with a nod, deciding to try and shake it off by making her way to the large wooden dinner table that sat just beyond the opening of the kitchen. It was set for four, with chairs large enough for her to curl her legs under her on the soft, cushioned material.

She watched Elijah thoughtfully for a moment as he put the tea kettle on in reply to her request. "Do you do that a lot?"

Though her questions had a habit of catching him off guard, he had been expecting something close to this particular one since the topic arose.

"A lot is a matter of perspective," he offered half-ruefully as he ambled over to claim the seat across from her. "I do not take altering minds lightly, though I will carry out that which needs to be done without hesitation. As I have for centuries."

"For your benefit," she supplied gently, trying to correct him without coming off as accusing. She couldn't help but to think of her compelled friends and family and how they were left completely clueless.

He surprised her by agreeing with a shallow nod. "And more often than not, for theirs. The owners of this house are hundreds of miles away from here by now. With Klaus running free in Mystic Falls the farther away, the better."

The harsh truths behind his answer didn't fail to catch her off guard.

She didn't reply right away but instead watched as his features fell in the stretch of silence. "But I am no saint." He took a large pull from his drink, nearly draining it of its contents. His tongue dipped across his bottom lip to wipe it clean as if the shameful memories would disappear with the last remnants of blood.

He was a vampire. An old one. And there was a time when he was young and restless - and thirsty for much more than just blood. He had experienced what was claimed to be the best parts of being a vampire by abusing his powers. Just as any young vampire was expect to do. Had he known it would later weigh so heavily upon him, he would have thought twice about such excursions.

Though unlike most – unlike his own brother – he could never 'flip the switch'. For him, it had never even existed. He had to remember the one emotion that mattered most. The fury that fueled him; that led him to where he was right at this moment.

Elena watched on as he mentally thumbed through memories in his mind. Reading signs of trouble on the tense planes of his face and knowing her questions had put them there was unsettling enough. She leaned her elbows on the table top.

"When I was young, I used to draw huge detailed murals on the living room wall with crayons," she reminisced innocently, using the spread of her hands to emphasize just how big they were while smiling fondly at the memory of a time long ago when her family was whole. "My parents would get upset so I would stay out of trouble by blaming it all on Jeremy..." Her smile grew to touch her eyes. "He was just a cute little toddler back then, but he was the artist of the family from the very beginning."

The corners of Elijah's lips turned up just barely at her 'confession'. "Such a horrendous deed," he mockingly tisked, taking note of her effort as it effectively pulled him from his reverie. He also could see the love she held for the boy simply by viewing her expression.

She smirked at him. "He got me back of course... he always did," her face sobered some when she met his eyes, "but we've all done things we regret, Elijah."

He couldn't help but scoff quietly at that. "I can assure you my list of mishaps is much different than your own," he offered with a bit of vigor as he rose to tend to the increasingly insistent whistle of the tea pot.

"Well everyone's is different," she reasoned, ambling to follow him into the kitchen, determined to not let him get away. She grabbed a glass cup down from the cabinet before leaning her hip against the island. "Everyone carries some form of regret whether they admit to it or not. What we choose to take from it is what matters."

While he was grateful for her attempts at consolation, he was sure there was none to be found over such a topic. He thought it over for a moment before prodding gently. He found he had to. "And what have you learned?" He quirked an eyebrow at her.

Elena's eyes rested on her cup. "Well from similar instances, I learned that family is meant to be protected. Cherished. Not ridiculed... Even if they are the younger sibling… But in general, my faults have taught me a lot of things." Elena fiddled with the curved handle for a moment before she looked back up at him. "What about yours?"

He had to think it over for a moment as he made his way over to carefully pour the steaming water into the cup she held, all the while trying to figure out how such far-straying paths could lead to such similar destinations.

The soft click of the cell phone light turning on just before it sounded in Elena's back pocket caused all other thoughts to disperse.

When it rang, she froze just long enough for Elijah to remove the cup of hot liquid from her hands and set it on the island. She reached for the phone, glancing at the name on the screen before looking up to find Elijah's taught expression. If he was trying to hide his anxiety, he was failing.

**_Jonas_**

Though that was the name that flashed on the screen, it was not who she expected to hear on the other end.

"Hello? Luka?"

A few seconds of silence passed and she was just about to repeat herself.

"Hello Elena...What a pleasant surprise."

It wasn't Luka. It was not who she expected at all.

Before she could comprehend what was happening, the phone vanished and almost instantly reappeared pressed firmly to Elijah's ear, her own empty hand still held awkwardly in the air at the side of her head. She was stuck, wide-eyed, knowing exactly who's unfamiliar voice that had been based on Elijah's reaction alone.

It should have been unfamiliar, but it startlingly was not.

Elijah's form went rigid a mere foot from her. She could feel it more than she could see it, though when he spoke his voice completely went against his tense stature; calm, businesslike. "What has become of the Martins?"

Her close proximity allowed her to hear the menacing voice that replied from the speaker.

"That depends on which of them you speak of. Some are just fine, while others were not so fortunate. Care to guess who's at fault?"

Elijah's jaw flexed. "Do not play games with me Niklaus."

Elena almost shivered at the dark chuckle that just barely rumbled through the speaker. "Oh big brother, this is no game. If that were the case, I'd be winning and my dear doppelganger would not still be in your possession."

Elena swallowed the lump of sickness that formed in her throat at the same time Elijah's simmering eyes found hers. It was easy to see he was equally disgusted by the show of arrogance; if not more so.

A mere seconds later, as if a switch had been flipped, she watched as his features change completely. To nothing. A hollow mask. "I claim nothing. What is yours is yours, brother. I merely hope for the chance to right my past wrongs..."

Elijah had told her step by step of exactly how his plan was going to go. How he was falsely after 'repentance'. He had scrutinizingly explained each and every minuscule detail without fail to her. Even making sure to put emphasis on the part that played out right before her eyes…

It did absolutely nothing to make his words to Klaus any less repulsive. And just like that, she couldn't hear any more.

Her legs started moving on their own accord as she hurriedly made her way back through the house. The rooms spun around her on the way. When she made it to the grass of the front lawn, she fell to her knees and heaved. Her stomach twisted in knots, attempting to rid itself of any contents but its emptiness only caused her ribs to throb and her throat to burn.

She tried to take deep breaths_. In the nose, out the mouth_ her mother would tell her when she wasn't feeling well, but it did nothing to stop the world from shaking before her eyes. She clenched them shut, wrapping her arms in a tight hold around her sore midsection.

She felt more weak than she had ever felt in her entire life. A time would come in the not-so-far future where she would have to deal with Klaus face to face and she couldn't even handle a few words of preparations. _Lies_. She had to remember that they were all lies.

The thought of Elijah still inside making them was enough to make another wave of sickness tighten her gut. She pressed her forehead into one hand, using the other to forcefully push her hair away from her face as she attempted to breathe through it. _Breathe... breathe_.

Only after a few long minutes did she calm down enough to sense anything around her, including his presence.

Elijah looked down at her from the porch steps, watching as she listlessly pushed back off her knees to sit, defeated, in the grass, her face still hidden from view in her palms. An upset angel.

He wanted desperately to crouch beside her. To tuck the runaway strands of hair behind her ear. To fix it. But the thought of how wrong it would be to attempt to repair anything he'd knowledgeably broken kept him standing, still as stone, at a distance. Something he knew he should have been doing the entire time with his family's honor in the balance.

But when she finally looked up at him, her face void of tears or angst or any emotion whatsoever, it was easy for him to remember what mattered the most to him. What should have pulled him to his knees at her side as soon as he found her that way. What should have been the end to every bit of this, right from the beginning. What made him instantly regret every syllable he had just uttered to his bastard brother. So much so that her distant words shook him to the very core of his being.

"I need you to make me forget."

* * *

***Waves sheepishly***

**I've missed each and every one of you! **

**More to come in a much more acceptable time frame! ;)**


	23. Here He Comes

_No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white_  
_just our hands clasped so tight_  
_If there's no one beside you when your soul embarks_  
_then I'll follow you into the dark_

**_~  
I'll Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab For Cutie_**

* * *

She couldn't handle this again. The sickening déjà vu of the familiar fading into something unknown. She remembered being so much stronger than this before her life was torn to pieces. Back when her biggest issue was a slacking grade in chemistry.

He could only blink, jolted. Unseen heat rose in his chest; a scorching shame that he did all in his power to conceal. He somehow managed to remain unmoving, holding her absent gaze until she spoke again.

"You may be able to pretend that this is all okay but I can't," she hears her voice falter over the confession and laughs miserably. "None of this is okay."

He breaks under the burden of her words, but only on the inside. "You think this is easy for me?"

His brow hovers low over troubled eyes and she averts her own away from him, her gaze falling to the ground just past her sneakers. She knew exactly how hard this was for him, but it didn't make it any less his doing. For a moment, she almost wanted to curse him for being so kind to her; for respecting her wishes from the day he captured her. For falling in love with her.

She would have never dared to call him an ally had he been anything close to what she expected; or cared to decipher every flicker of emotion that passed through his eyes. They would have never shared long talks about their pasts or walks in the warm sunlight or even a dance. She would have never grown to trust him or look up to him – or to love him back.

She hung her head in rout. Nothing ever turned out how she expected.

She knew deep within her that he needed to do this. For himself more than for his family, though he would never see it that way. The look on his face when he had read Klaus' words to her direct from his brother's own diary was burnt forever into her memory and had made it clear enough to her.

Her mind reeled over the fact that she had just connected the pieces together that prevented her from begging him to change his mind. She loved him – and for that reason alone she had to be honest with him. Just as he always was with her.

"I can't handle the thought of you just handing me over to Klaus," she whispered solemnly to the ground. "I thought I could. I thought I was ready for this but then that phone call… I can't… not you Elijah."

The tender way she looked back up to him as she struggled over her words should not have felt like a physical strike. It was a thought he had trouble handling as well, but that wasn't the part of her admission that floored him. He filled his lungs with a reflexive inhale as though the wind had been knocked from them and resolve came with the fresh air. Taking the few steps to close the distance between them, he reached a hand down to her. She studied it in deliberation for a moment before obliging him.

In one quick motion they were chest to chest. She only had a moment to take in the look of pained adoration in the dark of his eyes before she got to feel it for herself once again.

His lips pressed down onto hers in a gentle urgency that proved to seal the revelation of just how much she needed the man that now held her securely in his arms. His hands fell to rest at the small of her back, holding her as close to him as he could without too much force, though it was the only manner in which he showed any restraint. It was different than the first time, she could sense it in the way he deepened the kiss without fear of rejection. Of course he knew.

She kissed him back, finding a personal sense of salvation in the way his need matched hers. Her hands made their way around his shoulders, doing everything she could to pull him that much closer. He had been her anchor for such a long time that she wondered why it had ever seemed wrong to simply allow him to hold her right where she belonged. She had never felt anything like it. If her humanly need for air had not begun to grow painful, she was sure she would be just fine with kissing him like that forever.

She pulled back just enough and he allowed it, resting his forehead lightly against hers, his hands sliding to rest much lighter on her hips. They stayed like that for a long moment, one of them catching their breath while the other was much too focused for such a trivial thing.

He would never be the one to stand in the way of something she wanted if he was sure she truly desired it. Especially knowing just how much trauma it would take for her to make such a request. But he would be sure.

"And what is it exactly that you wish to forget?" he asked in a whisper that urged her eyes to slide open just as he shifted to place a soft kiss on the corner of her lips.

The request had almost slipped her mind. Almost. "I have to be able to think rationally for this to work out – and I can't do that with everything we've been through," she spoke softly, shaking her head at the notion. "I can't feel this way about you Elijah. Not now." She inched her eyes up his face to find his.

The acknowledgment was bittersweet. Enough sweetness to warm his eyes a fraction, though bitter reality still weighed heavily upon them. "It would be unfair of me to allow you a pass while I have to suffer the same ailment," he offered soothingly, pressing another sweet kiss to her lips before holding her gaze evenly. "But I will offer you a deal."

He took a moment to gauge her reaction while she fought the urge to roll her eyes at him in mild disbelief. He could turn just about anything into a formality couldn't he? She attempted to drop her gaze instead until Elijah caught her chin with a curled finger and gently tipped it back up.

"I will do what I can to spare us both," his eyes bore into hers in promise, no supernatural powers needed. "But I will need your help… and your mind clear and free of compulsion…" He had finally found something that mattered more to him than the demise of his brother and taking even the slightest chance at losing it was something he'd never do again.

After taking only a moment to decide that she'd heard his words correctly, both plans and nerves were mended.

* * *

She paced around the sitting room when attempting to be still grew torturous.

The first rays of the sun shone bright through the windows, officially marking the last day before the night of the full moon. The time to sleep had passed completely unnoticed. There was none to be had anyway.

They had spent most of the early morning talking over his conversation with Klaus; how Elijah had been as civil as possible over the phone, testing his control to an extreme he never knew he could withstand. How Klaus would be wary to such a show of valiance. And how it would be handled.

Elijah sat on a couch that looked like it came straight from the Victorian era, sipping at his fourth or fifth glass of blood as he watched her make her way around the room. His posture matched the angst that seemed permanently etched onto her face.

"So he's coming here tonight?" She stopped in her tracks with the question and took a breath to steady herself, absently clenching and unclenching her fingers. She had wanted nothing more than for this night to be over with, but now she could only wonder how time had turned against her.

"Yes," He replied gravely, a sickness in his eyes. Klaus had known exactly where they were without him having to fill him in. There was only one other person who knew where this particular current safe house was and he had been the warlock to make it 'safe'.

Elena had wondered about Jonas and Luka from the moment she heard Klaus' voice come from the elder's phone. Were they working for Klaus now… or was it much worse? She almost felt betrayed, though Elijah had warned her of such a thing. She even thought to ask him if he had learned anything else from Klaus but she thought better of it. He wouldn't have prodded for information in such a delicate situation and after the way he was wronged, asking would do nothing more than remind him. She still couldn't blame Jonas for what he did. No matter the cost, family was of highest priority.

A wave of anxiety washed over her when her thoughts became filled with her own. "Elijah, I've had some time to think it over," she said surely, placing her hands on the back of the couch that faced him, "and if there's still time I would like to see my family today."

_Just in case_, he mentally finished for her.

Without hesitation, he set his glass upon the table before he stood and gestured toward the front door for her to lead the way, needing a distraction from what was to come just as much as she did.

* * *

She had planned to ask him to drive to her house, but as the car slowed at the intersection near The Grill, she discovered it wouldn't be necessary.

Colorful tablecloths brightened the usually plain outdoor dining area with a matching bouquet of flowers in the center of each table. A crowd of familiar face filled most of the chairs; Jeremy, Jenna, and was that… her history teacher? – took up one of the tables close to the entrance, each looking inherently interested over their topic of discussion. A few tables over she spotted Stefan, his arm listlessly draped over the back of the chair Caroline claimed next to him, her vibrant dress flawlessly matching the decorations.

She was instantly taken aback by just how much time had passed since she'd seen them all, the perfectly themed party filling her in on just what she was witnessing unfold. It was already Caroline's birthday.

She was distracted from the thought when Damon and Bonnie emerged from the entrance, her hand looped through the bend of his arm. Along with the genuine surprise that widened her eyes some, she couldn't help but feel… relieved. She watched as they joined Stefan and Caroline at their table, the four of them laughing at some unheard joke just as Matt walked out with a tray of drinks.

Elijah pulled to a stop just across the street, the dark tint of the car windows keeping Elena out of view from the rest of the world while she looked on. A small part of her wanted the throw the door open and run to them. To take each one of them into her arms and never let them go. But their content smiles kept her glued to her seat.

Watching them carrying on together both warmed her heart and made her long for life she once led, though deep down she knew they were meant to be the way she sees them now. Safe and happy; free of the trouble she'd felt she always brought onto them.

More than anything, it was what she needed most. Closure.

Elijah's gentle touch attempting to smooth her fingernails away from the palm of her hand pulled her gaze over to him. "I recognize your family and the Salvatores, but who are the others?" He asked with real interest, looking past her out the window as he took her hand into his own.

"That's Matt," she began softly, pointing the forefinger of her free hand near the glass of the window to indicate the blonde boy with a crooked smile. "His mom was best friends with mine. We grew up together." She thought back to shared cribs and her very first kiss as she briefly looked over to Elijah, who waited silently for her to continue. "Next to Stefan is my friend Caroline." She had to pause for a moment when she turned to take in the bright, contagious smile that Stefan was currently falling victim to. "We didn't get along very well when we were younger but she's blossomed into such a beautiful person both inside and out." Her eyes turned back over to find his. "I'm sure Katherine meant to ruin her when she forced her into becoming a vampire, but it's almost as if it was meant to be. I've never seen her so… happy." She blinked, turning her gaze back out the window. She'd always known Caroline and Stefan shared a special connection from the day he offered to help her cope with becoming a vampire, and by the looks of it, it was going exceptionally well. "And the one with Damon is my best friend Bonnie." The words did not come out sounding as strange as she thought they should. "I'm not sure what exactly is going on, but now that I see it I can't think of anything more perfect." A smile touched her lips at the thought though it contrasted against to grave look that filled her eyes. "The first time he tries to pull anything Bonnie will surely put him in his place."

Elijah smirked sadly at that, soothing the pad of his thumb in patterns over her fingers. He couldn't help but be somewhat surprised by the calm way she regarded the one's she loved. So close, yet still worlds away. He felt like a monster. He had kept her hidden away from them and still continued to do so much too easily. He didn't fail to miss the cruelty of such a concept but the fact that she could without a single tear in her eyes only added to the strength he already saw every time he looked at her.

"What of the Salvatores?" He asked carefully, watching as the question furrowed her brow ever so slightly.

"I will always love them," she answered him easily, having had quite some time to think about it after the heartbreaking phone calls she'd made. Her tone hinted at her acceptance as her grip on his fingers tightened just a fraction. "But I think they only believed they loved me," she looked out at the road ahead. "They were enamored by my face alone and with their pasts, it's nothing I could ever blame them for… They both loved Katherine so much that of course those feelings would get transferred over to someone who looks just like her." Watching them so easily turn their attention to her friends confirmed the notion to her, though the bitterness never came.

Elijah slightly shook his head in exasperation. "Some never learn. What they refuse to see so greatly surpasses that they sought. The Katerina they once believed they loved no longer exists. In any form."

His words pulled her attention back to him. The look in his eyes confirmed that he truly believed the Salvatores were fools. She instantly wished she could pierce his otherwise stolid exterior and take an actual glimpse into his mind just then; if only for a second. "And what do you see?"

His eyes soften, their corners crinkling slightly as they ran idly over the features of her face. How easily he could see past her warm brown eyes; the set of lips that he much preferred curved upwards; and the button nose that centered the pair of them off so perfectly, and into the soul he'd dreamt up in another long ago.

"I see you, Elena."

* * *

When they had pulled into the driveway, the house hid the falling sun from view.

He had tried to keep her mind occupied the best he could since then, mingling tales of past times with small preparatory reminders. He told her stories of the one's he looked up to; how he had once sat at Chopin's side and watched as his hands turned a piano into something magical. How being one of Rembrandt's favorite apprentices opened his eyes to art and the wonders it could express.

Even that failed to slow the rising rhythm of her heart.

Though he showed no obvious sign, he was on full alert just as he had been since he spoke to his brother over the phone. So when he heard the sound of someone approaching far off in the woods he was not the least bit stirred. He only stuck his hand in his pocket to fumble with the empty glass vial.

When the stories came to an end and he turned to face her from his position next to her on the porch step, she knew. She filled her lungs with a deep breath taking a moment to appreciate the feeling.

He rose to his feet holding out a hand, offering her much more than just his help.

She stood beside him, his hand falling to rest on the small of her back as they made their way to the nearby clearing, leaving the safe house in the shadows. The sun dipped deep below the horizon behind her, marking the end of the most poignant days of her life as the rising full moon fought back, doing what it could to drape the field in white.

Though her mouth was dry, she could still taste the remnants of the elixir on her tongue. She eyed the tree line, experience and acceptance allowing her to appear as if the growing sound of crunching leaves under feet did nothing to faze her. Only her heart betrayed the façade.

That all change when the pressure of Elijah's hand left her back, the disappearance of his presence beside her sending a chill through her bones.

It surfaced in a shiver when the man of her nightmares gracefully emerged into view on the opposite side of the clearing only seconds later, his predacious smile of victory clear to even her human eyes.

* * *

**I really wanted to get this chapter out before I leave town tomorrow and I'm so happy that I could!**

**I hope you enjoyed and please let me know what you think! (it will make 8 hours of being stuck in a car so much less painful) ;)**

**Thanks so much!**


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